City of David

The City of David, known locally mostly in Arabic as Wadi Hilweh, is the name given to an archaeological site considered by most scholars to be the original settlement core of Jerusalem during the Bronze and Iron Ages [1]. Remains of a defensive network dating to the Middle Bronze Age were found around the Gihon Spring; it remained in use throughout subsequent periods [1]. Remains from the early Roman period include the Pool of Siloam and the Stepped Street, which stretched from the pool to the Temple Mount [1]. The first professional archaeologist to identify the site as the City of David was Raymond Weill in 1913 [1]. The beginning of its settlement dates back to the Chalcolithic period and the Early Bronze Age, largely built-up around the natural spring, although not known then by the name City of David [1]. Archaeological exploration of the area began in the nineteenth century, with excavations undertaken by Charles Warren in 1867 [1].