Tower of David

The Tower of David is quite literally where Jerusalem began—from historical, religious, and geographical perspectives. To the east of the Tower are [Page 454]historical sites spanning 4,000 years of the city's history including the Exodus, conquests led by Joshua to reach the Promised Land, and construction of the city by King David. To the west of the Tower lies the city of Jerusalem where prophets preached the word of God, foreign invaders penetrated and conquered the land, and where “radicals” emerged such as Jesus. The oldest remains of the city wall are buried in the bedrock of the hill underlying the Tower, which archaeologists have dated back to King Hezekiah in 8th century B.C.E., who built a wall and towers after the Assyrian invasion of Judah documented in 2 Chronicles 32:5. The wall was damaged during the Babylonian invasion, which led to the exile of the Jews in 586—587 B.C.E.

The Tower of David is located atop Mount Zion ridge in the Citadel at the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City. The Tower is one of the three surviving towers and surrounding fortresses built by King Herod to defend Jerusalem. Herod built this tower at the West Gate entrance of Jaffa because that location of the city was considered to be a weak link in the city's defense against foreign invaders. The Citadel is known as the Tower of David because it is thought that King Herod built it on the site of an earlier fortress constructed by Kind David. The Tower of David has formed part of the defense structures of Jerusalem for 2,700 years without interruption.

The historian Josephus in his book The Jewish Wars details the architectural work of King Herod. King Herod was a great architect who built numerous structures in Caesaria and within Jerusalem. One of Herod's building projects that Josephus describes was his palace, which stretched within the Citadel to the south. Josephus comments that Herod's palace was wondrous beyond words. Herod constructed three defense towers, naming one after his wife Mariamme, his friend Hippicus, and the third after his brother Phasael, which is now the Tower of David renamed by the Byzantines.

According to the New Testament, Jesus was judged at King Herod's palace. The historian Josephus accounts that Jewish “rebels” were summoned before the Roman ruler, and were scourged and then crucified. In 6 B.C.E., the Roman procurator came to Jerusalem to govern, and he resided in the Herodian palace. This is where men of the Roman governing body would stay in Jerusalem. The palace and Citadel have remained sites of importance in Jerusalem.

The treatment of Jewish rebels by the Imperial Cult and Roman forces led to a band of rebels who led numerous attacks against the Romans. The Emperor Vespasian and his son Tacitus led a war against those who rebelled against Roman law. The great fire of 66 C.E. led to the burning of the Herodian palace and a large number of architectural structures within the Citadel.

During the Arabic period, the Fatimids lost the Citadel and Jerusalem to the Crusaders. In centuries to come, the Citadel was destroyed and built up numerous times by a variety of foreign occupations. On the top of the Tower of David is a mosque whose presence marks the Islamic presence in the city of Jerusalem. The minaret of the mosque hangs above the pleated tower top, reminding visitors of Islamic rule in Jerusalem after the Jews were exiled many years before. The Tower and mosque bring together the new and old Jerusalem in a part of history that can never be forgotten. In 1310 C.E., King Bin-Qalawoon built the mosque on the top of the Tower as a religious symbol for all to witness that Islam was the new order in Jerusalem. The Mamluk Sultan Muhammad in the 14th century built the final form of the Citadel. During the Mamluk period, Jerusalem became neglected and the Citadel barely survived.

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