THE STONES OF JERUSALEM ARE SPEAKING — ANCIENT CITY OF DAVID REVEALS BIBLICAL TREASURES
What Archaeologists Are Finding Beneath Jerusalem Will Change How You See the Bible
Deep beneath the hills of Jerusalem, the stones are literally crying out with 3,000 years of history.
In the City of David, the original biblical Jerusalem located just south of the Old City walls, archaeologists are uncovering a world that was long buried — and every new discovery feels like the Bible itself is coming alive in real time.
On a bright day with the Mount of Olives in the background and the Temple Mount visible nearby, former City of David Vice President and IDF Major Deron Spielman guided an exclusive tour through this living archaeological wonder.
As author of the powerful new book When the Stones Speak, Spielman knows better than most that these ancient stones have stories to tell — and they are telling them loudly right now.
Why is the real biblical Jerusalem outside the famous Old City walls? The answer lies in a 19th-century British explorer sent by Queen Victoria in search of the Ark of the Covenant.
While digging inside the walls yielded little, he followed a spring outside and stumbled into an enormous underground city.
That discovery proved the Jerusalem of King David, Solomon, and the prophets lies south of the current Old City, in what we now call the City of David.
Standing near the Ophel, visitors can touch massive stones that form part of the wall built by King Solomon around 970 BCE.
These enormous blocks stretch from the area near the Temple Mount all the way down into the City of David.
This is First Temple period architecture — the kingdom that Solomon transformed from his father David’s military stronghold into a proper, organized nation with tax systems, grand construction projects, and visionary leadership.
As the tour descends through layers of history, the past unfolds dramatically.
One bucket at a time, tens of thousands of tons of dirt have been removed, revealing 11 different civilizations stacked upon each other.
Walk down the wooden stairs and you travel backward in time — through Muslim, Crusader, Byzantine, Roman, and Second Temple periods until you reach the world of the Bible.
Geographic Reference
One of the most emotional stops is a burnt room from 586 BCE.
The walls are still blackened with ash from the Babylonian destruction of the First Temple.
Inside this very house, archaeologists found the seal of Natan-Melech, “Servant of the King,” mentioned in the Second Book of Kings.
Carbon dating of over 100 date seeds found in the ash confirms the exact time of the destruction.
Touching that ancient ash creates an indescribable feeling — a direct physical connection to the tragedy that caused the Jews to weep by the rivers of Babylon.
Yet the discoveries are not only about destruction.
In another home, a volunteer named Na’ama was sifting dirt when she screamed in excitement.
She had uncovered 264 pure gold coins hidden in a wall — treasure a family buried in panic as the Persians approached around 630 CE, never to return.
Historical Sites & Buildings
The coins remain perfectly preserved, a silent witness to ancient fear and sudden flight.
Perhaps the most breathtaking find of all is the small golden bell discovered near the Temple Mount.
Pure 24-karat gold with its tiny chime still inside, it is believed to be one of the bells that adorned the robe of the High Priest as described in the Torah.
When shaken, it still rings — a sound that may not have been heard for nearly 2,000 years.
Finding it was so powerful that the archaeologist burst into a meeting and placed the clump of dirt on the table, telling Spielman to pick it up and shake it.
The chime that emerged left everyone speechless.
Below the modern streets runs the majestic Second Temple pilgrimage road — the very path millions of Jewish families walked for centuries during the three major festivals.
Archaeology
Engineered with massive Herodian stones and supported by enormous arches, this road carried pilgrims from the Pool of Siloam up to the Temple Mount.
Today, visitors can stand on the original pavement stones, touch the same surfaces, and imagine the excitement, the singing, the families reuniting after long journeys.
The Pool of Siloam itself, where pilgrims purified themselves before ascending, has also been dramatically revealed.
This massive ritual bath, the size of one and a half Olympic pools, served as the spiritual starting point for the journey into the holy city.
From here, the road climbs upward, creating that powerful sense of aliyah — both physical and spiritual elevation.
The engineering feat behind these excavations is staggering.
To protect the modern neighborhood above, engineers built supports capable of holding an 11-story building.
Judaism
Every bag of dirt is carefully sifted, revealing pottery, coins, and artifacts that rewrite tomorrow’s headlines.
The project has cost hundreds of millions of dollars, funded largely by donations from people around the world who want to be part of bringing biblical Jerusalem back to light.
These discoveries carry deep meaning in today’s world.
While some voices attempt to deny Jewish history in Jerusalem, the stones refuse to stay silent.
They confirm continuous Jewish presence, sophisticated building projects, spiritual devotion, and national resilience spanning thousands of years.
From Solomon’s Wall to the High Priest’s golden bell, from the burnt ash of 586 BCE to the pilgrimage road still waiting to be fully walked again, the evidence is overwhelming and physical.
The City of David is not just an archaeological site.
Christianity
It is living proof of Jewish indigeneity to the land, of an unbroken chain of history, and of a people who have returned to the exact places their ancestors built, prayed, and wept.
As Deron Spielman often says, the stones are speaking — and what they are saying is clear: we were here, we are here, and we will remain here.
Every new find strengthens that message.
Every layer removed brings another chapter of the Bible into the sunlight.
The past is not frozen in these hills.
It is actively being revealed, bucket by bucket, stone by stone, truth by truth.
For those who walk these ancient paths today, the experience is transformative.
Hands touch ashes from the First Temple destruction and golden artifacts from the Second Temple period.
Historical Sites & Buildings
Eyes see the same views King David saw.
Hearts feel the weight of thousands of years of prayer, longing, and return.
The City of David reminds us that biblical history is not distant legend.
It is under our feet, in our hands, and very much alive in Jerusalem right now.
The stones have waited patiently for this moment.
Now they are speaking — and the whole world is beginning to listen.