Hebron to City of David overview

When Saul died, David was made king of Judea. He ruled for seven years and six months in Hebron (2 Samuel 5:5). When he had an opportunity to rule a united kingdom, he moved to Jerusalem, which was closer to the border separating Judah from the northern tribes. Later, the kingdom would split, with the northern tribes taking the name Israel. This video shows both Hebron and Jerusalem’s “City of David” archaeological park, roughly outlined in yellow in these images. It’s difficult to see the city David took. It was far smaller than today’s Old City of Jerusalem, and outside of the Old City’s walls. Jerusalem’s walls have changed their shape many times over the centuries. David’s Jerusalem was built next to and over the Gihon Spring, on the steep hill between the Kidron and “Central” valleys. The Central Valley, also called the Tyropoeon Valley, is no longer visible. Herod the Great filled it in during his reconstruction of Jerusalem just before Jesus lived. What you can see in these photos is evidence of extensive archaeological work in this area. Some of the most important archaeological finds ever made have been discovered here, including what may be the stacked-stone foundation for David’s palace. Look for images that begin at the 1:00 mark of this video.