The Water of Life: Silwan's Ancient Spring and Jerusalem's Birth

In this episode of The History of Jerusalem, Lucas and Luna trace the city's origins back to a single source: the Gihon Spring in the village of Silwan, just outside the Old City walls. They explore how this natural water source determined the location of the earliest settlement, the Canaanite town of Jebus, and how its water system—including Warren's Shaft and Hezekiah's Tunnel—became a matter of life and death during sieges. The conversation covers the archaeological evidence from Kathleen Kenyon and Yigal Shiloh, the biblical accounts in 2 Samuel and 2 Kings, and the recent debates over the City of David's historical significance. They also touch on the spring's role in the Coronation of Solomon, its sacred status in later Jewish and Christian tradition, and the modern struggle over Silwan as an archaeological park. Through this, they reveal how a humble spring shaped the most contested city on Earth.

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