Tomb of King David 

 

Location

 

1. The place tourists go today to see the Tomb of King David is on the Western Hill at the exact location as the Upper Room. This is so because the Crusaders (1095–1291 AD) believed Pentecost took place at the Upper Room and interpreted a verse in Peter's sermon as meaning King David's tomb was at the Upper Room and not in the Jerusalem area: "Brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day" (Acts 2:29).

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Later, a Jewish Rabbi had a vision that King David's tomb was in the same area, so a synagogue was placed over the same building as the Upper Room, and a casket was placed there to honor King David. The casket is empty and does not have David's bones in it.

 

In 1913, Ramond Weill discovered the Tomb of David in the lower part of the City of David, and for about 50 years, tourists visited that site.

 

However, after 1960, tourists returned to the Upper Room, where they believed the Tomb of David was located. Why did this change occur? We will see why in a moment.

 

2. The Bible provides quite accurate information regarding the location of the Tomb of David.

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1 Kings 2:10: Then David lay down with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David. 

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This verse makes it clear that the Tomb of David was located inside the City of David. The current site where tourists visit the Tomb of David is not in the City of David but on the upper part of the Western Hill, just west of the City of David, about 0.5 miles (1 km) away.

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Nehemiah 3:15-16: Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, made a roof for it, and installed its doors with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah [Siloam] at the king’s garden as far as the steps that descend from the city of David. 16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as a point opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty men.

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The context of Nehemiah 3 makes it clear that these verses form part of a description of the rebuilding of the city wall, beginning at the southern tip of the city of David and moving north along the eastern wall, the section being rebuilt. Verse 15 starts at the pool of Siloam. It ends at the steps. The following section, described in verse 16, begins at these unknown steps and continues farther north towards the temple mount up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool. Based on this information, it is estimated where the royal tombs should be located.

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​Based on this location and the section of the wall described in Nehemiah, Raymond Weill began digging in this area in 1913. Using around 200 local workers and 30 donkeys, Weill's team cleared the entire area all the way down to bedrock. Weill then found the remains of nine tombs in front of an ancient pool just as the Bible had indicated. The tombs were extensively damaged due to the stones that were quarried out of the site (to rebuild Jerusalem into Aelia Capitolina) later on, and the intentional destruction by Roman Emperor Hadrian (135 AD), who tried to wipe out the remains of a Jewish presence in the area.

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However, two of the most important and monumental tombs were clearly visible. Weill identified the most monumental tomb as that of King David.

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It should be noted that only kings were allowed to be buried within the city walls of a city, as they were considered royalty and were exempt from obeying Moses' command to bury the dead outside the city walls because they were deemed unclean. This adds weight to the most monumental tomb, that of King David.

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Historical Background

 

1. King David died around 970 BC and was buried in the City of David (1 Kings 2:10). The City of David was 11 acres (4.5 hectares) in size (about the size of 11 football fields).

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2. David's Tomb was known and venerated during the time of Nehemiah (around 444 BC). As we have seen from Nehemiah's account, David's Tomb is located on the east side of the City of David, north of the Pool of Siloam. The location of Raymond Weill's excavations confirms this location.

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3. A synagogue dating to around 100 BC, which appears to have venerated David's Tomb, was discovered, with its remains still visible today. It's called the Theodotos synagogue, and is located right below David's Tomb. Raymond Weill found a stone bearing a dedication inscription for the synagogue. In this inscription, Theodotus, a ruler of the synagogue and the son and grandson of synagogue rulers, built the synagogue for three things: 1) the reading of the Torah, 2) the teaching of the commandments, and 3) as a guest house for travelers.

 

4. The Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, indicates that the Tomb of David was still venerated during the New Testament period. “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day” (Acts 2:29).

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5. Josephus Flavius, a Jewish historian writing around 60-80 AD, located the Tomb of David in the City of David. According to Josephus, Herod broke into David's tomb to rob it, but when he tried to enter the inner chamber, tongues of fire shot out (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 16:7:1).

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6. Around 135 AD, the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, knew where David's Tomb was and intentionally quarried stones there for his building projects. It's this destruction that removed the top of David's Tomb and destroyed many other tombs of royal kings buried in this area.

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7. In summary, the historical and archeological data reveal that the Tomb of David in the City of David was venerated from the time of David's death in 970 BC until around 638 AD, when the Muslims took over Israel and destroyed many Christian and Jewish sites. It would be at this time that the tomb would become neglected and buried under dirt and debris.

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Change in Location from the City of David to Mount Zion

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1. The Crusaders began venerating the location of the Tomb of David on Mount Zion around 1125 AD. This was because the Tomb of David was buried in the City of David, and its location was unknown. 

 

2. Also, the Crusaders believed Pentecost took place in the Upper Room and interpreted a verse in Peter's sermon as indicating that King David's tomb was there (Acts 2:29).

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3. Later, a Jewish Rabbi had a vision that King David's tomb was in the same area, so a synagogue was placed over the same building as the Upper Room, and a casket was placed there to honor King David. The casket is empty and does not have David's bones in it.

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4. The site on Mount Zion has no biblical or archaeological evidence supporting it as the location of David's Tomb.

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5. The site is where the Upper Room was located. After it was destroyed in 70 AD, a new Judeo-Christian Synagogue was built on the original site, with subsequent churches constructed to mark the Upper Room location as well.

 

Change in Location from Mount Zion Back to the City of David

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1. After Raymond Weill discovered David's Tomb in the City of David, it would be the site where all the tourists would visit and venerate once again.

 

2. Raymond Weill's discovery of the Tomb of David was widely accepted by his colleagues. An example of this is Benjamin Mazar, one of the father figures of Israeli archaeology. He wrote a famous book about his excavations around Jerusalem. On the back of his book is a photo showing the tombs from the House of David that Weill discovered. So we have an example of how Weill's discovery was accepted in scholarship for many years.

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Change in Location from the City of David Back to Mount Zion

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1. In 1960, Kathleen Kenyon excavated the Tomb of David site in the City of David. However, the site and Kathleen Kenyon's work were then under the authority of Jordan and the Jordan Antiquities Authority. It appears Kathleen's goal was to overturn any Jewish connections to the biblical sites and replace them with different views. She did this in Jericho and other places. It seems she was politically driven and not archaeologically driven. 

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2. Kathleen interpreted the tombs as cisterns. This is remarkably irresponsible, as all the evidence at these sites clearly supports them as being tombs and not cisterns.

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• Cisterns are vertical in nature. David's Tomb is horizontally shaped.

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• Cisterns don't have openings at the bottom. David's Tomb has an opening at the bottom for entry.

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• Cisterns usually don't have two levels. David's Tomb has a lower level and an upper level. The upper level is where his body was located.

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• Cisterns are entirely covered with plaster, so water doesn't escape or leak out. David's Tomb has very little plaster.

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• Cisterns don't have cutouts in their sides for oil lamps. This tomb has them.

 

3. Katheen admitted that what Weill had identified as the Tomb of David was not like any other observed cistern known. Here is her quote from her book, "Digging Up Jerusalem," pgs. 31-32.

“The particular cuttings revealed by Weill were certainly unusual, consisting of two rock-cut tunnels side by side. They are not like any observed cisterns, though the plaster that covers the rock shows that they were at some stage used as cisterns." 

 

4. As a result of Kathleen's interpretation, tourists began going to Mount Zion, the site of the first floor of the Upper Room, and no longer visit the actual site in the City of David. In fact, most tourists don't even know the story behind what has happened and are ignorant of the location of the actual site.

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Location of the Tomb of David, According to the Israeli Antiquities Authority

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The Israeli Antiquities Authority oversees and is the ultimate authority on excavations and discoveries in Israel. They have posted signs in the City of David marking the location of the Tomb of David (and the other tombs of the House of David), along with the Theodotos Synagogue, and more.

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Places of Interest

 

1. Pool of Siloam

 

2. Tomb 1: King David's Tomb

 

3. Tomb 2

 

4. Horizontal Tomb Shaft of Tomb 1

 

5. Burial niche at the very back of Tomb 1

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6. Carved out trough at the back of the Tomb 1 horizontal shaft. This is likely the place where King David's bones were buried.

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7. Quarried Area

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8. Ancient 3,000-year-old walls of the City of David

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9. Walls Nehemiah repaired that can be seen today

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10. Upper Room

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​Faith Lesson from the Tomb of David

 

1. The importance of the discovery of King David's palace and tomb can be found in Psalm 16.:9-11.

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Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 

 

2. Was David writing about himself or someone else? He couldn't have been writing about himself as he died, his body decayed, and his bones turned to dust.

 

3. However, God made a promise to David that He would establish a house of lineage for him and establish that there would come someone from his lineage who would reign forever. This would be the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who would come from David's lineage.

 

2 Samuel 7:11-13: The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. 12 When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

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4. For around a thousand years after David's death, the Israelites continued to remember this promise given to David and looked for their coming Messiah, the Son of David, who would fulfill this prophecy. 

 

Psalm 89:3-4: I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to My servant David, 4 I will establish your descendants forever and build up your throne to all generations. 

 

Psalm 89:35-37: Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His descendants shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me. 7 It shall be established forever like the moon, and a witness in the sky is faithful.

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5. Christ fulfilled this prophecy. His tomb was empty, and Christ never saw decay. He will reign forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

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6. Have you received Christ as your Lord and Savior, and will you be a part of Christ's eternal kingdom?