Скачать или смотреть From the Old City Walls to Mount Zion – Layers of Jerusalem’s Past

Information about the Layers of Jerusalem’s Past itself will be provided after this announcement (Rita L. Coventry).

Due to the current situation and the ongoing war, I haven’t been able to guide tours in person as usual. However, I’m eager to continue sharing the rich and sacred history of the Holy Land through my videos.

If you enjoy these journeys and would like to stay connected, I warmly invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I bring Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Israel to life from wherever you are. For more insights and updates, follow me on Facebook and Instagram -I regularly share additional content, stories, and behind-the-scenes moments you won’t want to miss.

If you feel inspired to support my work, your generosity helps me keep these videos coming. Whether through a simple subscription, sharing with friends interested in Israel’s history, or by supporting me directly, every bit makes a difference.

I also offer a personal touch: upon your request, I would be honored to pray for you at the Western Wall, light a candle in your name at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, or anywhere meaningful in the Holy Land. If you have any special personal requests, please reach out — I’m happy to respond and even create a dedicated video for you.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.
With gratitude,
Your tour guide,
Zahi Shaked

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Thank you so much
Your tour guide
Zahi Shaked

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Walking from Jaffa Gate to Mount Zion offers a fascinating journey through layers of Jerusalem’s history, faith, and tradition. While many choose to take the path through the Armenian Quarter inside the Old City walls, this time I decided to follow the route on the outside, along the western and southern walls of Jerusalem. This path opens a window into some of the city’s most important archaeological remains, religious traditions, and historic landscapes.

One of the first things that appears along the way are Jewish rock-cut tombs from the time of the Second Temple. These tombs, carved into the stone, remind us of the burial customs of ancient Jerusalem and connect us directly to the city as it existed two thousand years ago.

As we continue, the walls themselves tell a powerful story. Here you can see the stratification of Jerusalem’s fortifications: layers from the Hasmonean kingdom, the days of Herod and the Romans, and later additions by Muslim rulers. Each layer is like a page in the book of Jerusalem, reflecting the many peoples and powers who have claimed and protected this holy city.

The valley beneath the walls is none other than the Valley of Gehenna. Known in Hebrew as Gehinnom, this ravine carries a heavy symbolic weight. In biblical times it was associated with destruction and fire, and later it became a powerful image of hell in Jewish and Christian tradition. Standing here, between the walls of the city and the depth of the valley, one feels the dramatic geography that shaped so much of the city’s history and faith.

Along the way, we also encounter some of the first Jewish neighborhoods built outside the Old City walls in the 19th century. These pioneering homes marked the beginning of the new Jerusalem, the city expanding beyond its medieval boundaries into the modern era.

For Christians, this route also carries deep significance. According to some Protestant and Evangelical traditions, this area is linked with the trial of Jesus before His crucifixion. While Catholic and Orthodox traditions focus on other sites within the Old City, these interpretations remind us of the diversity of Christian memory woven into Jerusalem’s landscape.

Finally, the path brings us to Mount Zion itself, a hill sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Here stand the traditional sites of the Tomb of King David, the Room of the Last Supper, and important churches and monasteries. From this point, the city opens in breathtaking views across the valleys and hills that surround Jerusalem.

This walk from Jaffa Gate to Mount Zion, taken outside the Old City walls, is not just a stroll through space – it is a journey through time. It brings together the memory of the Second Temple, the struggle of ancient kingdoms, the warnings of prophets, the prayers of pilgrims, and the beginnings of modern Jerusalem.
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