Pilgrim Road Opens to the Public After Years of Excavation

In an update from an episode we shared in September – The Pilgrim Road, a 2000-year-old pedestrian street in Jerusalem that led directly to the Temple Mount from the Pool of Siloam in the southeastern part of the city, officially opened to the public for the first time on January 20, and a group of around 30 people got the first glimpse. 

Pilgrim Road is believed to have been the primary road that millions of Jewish pilgrims, and potentially Jesus, used to reach the Beit HaMikdash (both temples). It is believed to have been built in the first years of the Common Era (what is known as CE) by either King Herod or Governor Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor of Judaea, known for overseeing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 

Over 20 plus years of excavations across different areas of the site by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority uncovered incredible finds along the way, including pottery, jewelry, evidence of Roman destruction, and Mikva’ot (ritual baths), that span the entire history of Jerusalem, including during the First Temple Period, which spanned from 1000-586 BCE, and when a significant timeline of biblical history occurred, and the Second Temple Period, which lasted until 70 CE. 

Above what is believed to be the most ancient part of the 3,000-year-old city, much of which today is the City of David, is the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, where the road was first discovered in 2004 after reports of a broken pipe in the Wadi Hilweh area of the neighborhood. 

Since the site is an area considered under occupation by some in the international community, this extraordinary moment has not been overseen without controversy. The archaeological park is backed by the City of David foundation, also known as ELAD, which operates with the support of strengthening and uncovering Jewish presence in the city’s Palestinian neighborhoods. 

The site is considered a joint Israeli-American heritage site, after the United States recognized the City of David in January 2021 as a landmark to America’s strong commitment to Judeo-Christian heritage, bond, and founding principles. Both American and Israeli leaders attended the grand opening of the site back in September.