National Geographic - USA (2019-12)

rcophagus
laimed was
ed to seek
the British
obe Jerusa-
Warren hired
unnels that
of Ottoman
lem. When
ynamite to
stonishing
ge channel
k—and his
wonder. But
mistrust of
slims.
tured East
from Arab
ar, Jewish
ntific exca-
f the young

country’s efforts to prove and celebrate its

ancient roots. They unearthed first- century vil-

las of the Jewish elite filled with elegant mosa-

ics and painted walls. But they also exposed

parts of the long-lost Nea Church that had

been built 500 years later and was second in

importance only to the Holy Sepulchre, as well

as ruins of an enormous complex constructed

by early Muslim rulers.

Some excavations, however, were overtly

religious. Only a few segments of the Western

Wall—a remnant of Herod the Great’s Temple

platform and Judaism’s most sacred site where

Jews can pray—are above ground, so after the

Six Day War, the Ministry of Religion began

an effort to expose its entire length by digging

tunnels. Longer than the Empire State Build-

ing is tall, the wall is covered by later buildings

along more than half its length. For almost two

decades there was little archaeological supervi-

sion of the tunnel work, and untold data were

lost, says Israeli archaeologist Dan Bahat, who

Splashes and laughs

top off a trek through

Hezekiah’s Tunnel,

which channels water

some 600 yards from

the Gihon Spring—

ancient Jerusalem’s

main water source—to

this pool. King Heze-

kiah, the Bible says,

built the tunnel to pro-

tect the city’s water

supply from invaders.

HADAS PARUSH

HOLY TO JEWS, CHRISTIANS, AND MUSLIMS,

MODERN JERUSALEM HAS BEEN

SHAPED BY 3,000 YEARS OF WORSHIP,

CONQUEST, DEVASTATION, AND REBUILDING.

BY ALBERTO LUCAS LÓPEZ

AND MATTHEW W. CHWASTYK

CONTESTED

HERITAGE

0 mi 2

0 km 2

DeadSea

GalileeSea of

Boundary claimed by Syria

GSTRIPAZA

WBANESKT

GOHEILANGHTS

EGY

PT

JOR

DA

N

SYR

IA

LEBANON

ISRAEL

Jerusalem

WEST

BANK

ISRAEL

OLD CITY

EASTJERUSALEM

WEST JERUSALEMGreen Line,

1949 armistice

Jerusalemcity limits

MAP AREA

ENLARGEDBELOW

AS

E IA

UROPE

AFRICA

Capital Controversy

After Israel’s establishment in

1948, the state de clared Jeru-

salem its capital. Palestinians

claim East Jerusa lem as their

future capital. The Green Line

(dashed) shows the boundary

before the Six Day War.

Disputed Territories

During the 1967 Six Day

War, Israel captured the

West Bank and East Jerusa-

lem, including the Old City,

from Jordan, the Gaza Strip

from Egypt, and the Golan

Heights from Syria.

One City, Many Names

This place of reverence

and warfare has been

known as Hierosolyma,

Yerushalayim, City of

David, City of the Great

King, Aelia Capitolina,

Al Quds, Jerusalem.