Silwan and the proverbial key

Silwan and the proverbial key
by Ted Belman

The Mount of Olives is located east of the Old City across the Kidron Valley. It offers a magnificent view of Jerusalem because its summit is 300 feet higher than the city. One can also see the Judean Hills as far as the Dead Sea and the mountains of Moab on the east side. It also demarcates the watershed.

The Dead Sea is twenty two miles away to the south east along the Kidron Valley. It is along this valley that water flows down to the Dead sea and pilgrims historically have travelled up to the Holy City.

The City of David in the Kidron valley includes Silwan which has about 14,000 Arabs residents and 500 Jewish residents. It is about 300 yards from the Old City. Silwan sits on a very important archaeological site. Many believe, or at least hope, that excavations there will uncover evidence of King David’s palace. The municipality of Jerusalem has developed plans to make this area into an archaeological park. These plans involved the demolition of 88 Arab homes all of which were built without permits. Beit Yonatan, also built without a permit, is part of this story.

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This Christian Zionist visited Shiloach when Jews first began their return there again, and I’ve been back many times with the Temple Mount Faithful who go to the Pool of Siloam to draw water during Sukkot.

Conflict in Jerusalem
They’ve placed barbed wire all around their “yard,” freshly tarred their roof, have an Israeli flag flying & are still clearing out all the junk the Arabs threw in there for the past 7 years. It was exciting to drive through that Palestinian village as they looked on. Earlier, being hot as usual, I started to roll down my window when they reminded me it’s better to be hot than get a stone in the face!

Silwan/Shiloach/City of David


http://www.davidbenariel.org/