Jerusalem - Eli Sporn

Jerusalem Tiyul
Photos courtesy of Twiggy!

Yesterday, two days ago, or a few days ago if you’re really procrastinating on your homework, we visited the old city of Jerusalem, also known as Ir David. The city was made capital by King David, the second king of the Israelite, seven years into his reign. However, the first king Saul ruled at Hevron, the site of the Cave of Machpelah. Saul, a Benjaminite, became king as chosen by God through the prophet Samuel by the process of Mashiach. Mashiach is a process in which one becomes anointed, which in Hebrew literally means having oil poured over one’s head. Saul shows purpose for being leader through his skill in warfare, his ability to provide security, and his ability to unite the land of Judah and the land of Israel into the United Monarchy. However, Saul falls out of favor of the people through his disobedience to God and a lack of checks and balances through Samuel.

This places David in power, as he is the most popular choice for king. David showed strength and reason for kingship through his various military victories, including the defeat of Goliath (see photographic evidence to the left) and the capture of Jerusalem, and the approval of the descendants of Saul. David, however, also makes mistakes. David has a child with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and covers it up by having Uriah killed. This causes Samuel to get mad and make David unable to construct the temple on Mount Moriah. The most important part of this story was the idea of t’shuvah, or repentance. David’s act of t’shuvah made him a good king, as he did not deny that he did the crime, but accepted the consequences of his actions. Both of these early kings are shown as great people, yet both are imperfect, which shows how the Tanach knows that we as people are not going to be perfect, thus making the people and events in the story relatable and realistic.

On our trek through Jerusalem, our first stop was one during which we acted out the battle between David and Goliath, during which Evan tormented a poor, lonely cat. At the spot, we could see the city of Jerusalem and parts of the original city built by David. The city was placed at a tall point above a large hill, which provided natural defenses for the people and it was located to the north of the tribe of Judah and the south of the tribe of Benjamin, making it a connector to many different locations. It also had access to groundwater springs, which provided drinking water for the residents of the city. Our last and main stop was this waterway. 

Some of us chose to wade through the waters of the underground wells developed by king Hezekiah to provide safety for the water during times of war while others traversed the original Canaanite wells including myself. The wet pathway was dug by two individuals who came from opposite sides of the well and converged, eventually meeting at a point. This is evident through an ostracon found within the well which describes the events that took place to dig the tunnels. Additionally, a rich man’s house was excavated near the waterway and it showed the lavish lifestyle of the time, complete with four whole rooms and a toilet. The name of the man, Achiel, could even be identified by seals called Buleis on jars. These seals could be cross referenced with the Tanach to determine the profession of this rich person and the time at which this person, as well as king David, lived, which was around 1000 BCE.

The first kings were generally mixed people. While Saul was a great first king, he also was a bit corrupt and disobeyed God, and David was an amazing king, yet he committed adultery and murder. Overall, were each king good or bad? Did they deserve to be king after their heinous acts or should they be allowed to continue their reign? Should they have been punished more harshly, more leniently, or was their punishment just?