Israel Is Forever: Special feature to the Calling Out Community, Posted May 8, 2015. Updated November 12, 2015.

Tower of David at night

Today we are featuring the historic Tower of David (Hebrew: מגדל דוד‎, Migdal David, Arabic: برج داود‎, Burj Daud), also known as the Jerusalem Citadel, an ancient citadel located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem.

Dan Bahat, an Israeli archaeologist especially known for his excavations in Jerusalem, has written that the original three Hasmonean towers were

Tower of David, circa 1900

altered by Herod, and that “The northeastern tower was replaced by a much larger, more massive tower, dubbed the “Tower of David” beginning in the 5th century C.E.”

The name “Tower of David” was determined by Byzantine Christians who believed the site to be the palace of King David. They borrowed the name “Tower of David” from the Song of Songs, attributed to Solomon, King David’s son, who wrote:

Citadel of the Tower of David

“Thy neck is like the Tower of David built with turrets, whereon there hang a thousand shields, all the armor of the mighty men.” (Song of Songs, 4:4) 

The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem was opened in 1989 by the Jerusalem Foundation. Located in a series of chambers in the original citadel, the museum includes a courtyard which contains archeological ruins 2,700 years old.

The exhibits depict 4,000 years of Jerusalem’s history, from its beginnings as  a Canaanite city to modern times. Using maps, videotapes, holograms, drawings and models, the exhibit rooms each depict Jerusalem under its various rulers. Visitors may also ascend to the ramparts, which command a 360-degree view of the Old City and New City of Jerusalem.

As of 2002, the Jerusalem Foundation reported that over 3.5 million visitors had toured the museum.