Holy Land: Discovery in the City of David

Excavations, which have been underway for many years, are attempting to restore the “Pilgrimage Route” of Jewish pilgrimages. This is one of the most expensive and complex archaeological works currently being carried out in the Holy Land.

This is due to the necessary works and underground conditions imposed to restore this in its entirety. The length of the road connecting “the Pool of Siloam to the south of the City of David—that is the say, to the Temple Mount—is 600 meters. It is 8 meters wide, but at its southern end, it widens further and reaches a width of 30 meters” the City of David website explains.

“[C]oins, weights, as well as a weighing table were found along this road: objects used for commercial activities that ran along the road,” the same source continues.

A canal “runs under the road, used in the Second Temple era as a hiding place for Jewish rebels hiding from Roman soldiers. Cooking pots, oil lamps, hundreds of bronze coins dating from the Great Revolt, and even a sword that belonged to a Roman legionary have been identified in the canal.”

Finally, recent research tends to prove that this Pilgrimage Route, which had been attributed to Herod the Great, builder of the Second Temple, would rather have been built by the Roman governors of Jerusalem. A certain Pontius Pilate would have been the principal builder.

A Road Known for Over 100 Years That Still Reveals Secrets

The Pool of Siloam was discovered south of the City of David in the late 19th century, but it remained unexcavated for many years. Excavations began only a few years ago, and the site was uncovered in a short time. The pool dates to the Hasmonean period (140 to 37 BC), but most of its construction is attributed to the time of Herod.

The pool is connected to the Temple Mount by the Pilgrimage Route. The site served as a meeting point for the pilgrims who came to visit the Temple Mount during the three annual pilgrimages: the Feast of Tabernacles, Easter, and Pentecost. Shops lined this impressive street, taking advantage of its busyness especially at the time of the pilgrimages.

The route has been partially excavated and a unique kind of steps has been uncovered. A section of a stepped street paved with stone slabs, running south in the direction of the Pool of Siloam, was recently discovered, at a distance of 550 meters south of the Temple Mount.

According to Professor Ronny Reich, “in the Second Temple period, pilgrims began the ascent to the Temple from here. This is the southern end of the road, a section of which has already been cleared along the western side of the Temple Mount.”

But what makes this Pilgrimage Route interesting for Catholics is that Our Lord and Savior walked it. He even performed one of his most dazzling miracles here: the healing of the man born blind, which is recounted in the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of St. John. It was there that Christ made a little mud with his saliva and dust to put on the eyes of the blind man.

Then he ordered him to go to the Pool of Siloam to wash himself, and he did so and was healed. This was also an occasion of scandal for the Pharisees, because this happened on a Sabbath day: Christ’s gesture was considered prohibited that day. We must reread this beautiful text and the simple and great attitude of the healed blind man, his repartee to the Pharisees, and his beautiful act of faith.