The deeper archaeologists dig beneath Jerusalem, the more of the Bible comes to life.
From the Pool of Siloam to the ancient Pilgrimage Road leading toward the Temple Mount, discoveries across Jerusalem’s City of David are revealing a physical landscape remarkably familiar to anyone who has opened the pages of Scripture.
And U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says what is coming out of the ground matters.
“There’s not a single archaeological discovery that has ever happened that controverted a single verse of Scripture,” Huckabee told CBN News’ “Jerusalem Dateline.”
During a special tour through the City of David, CBN retraced the ancient pilgrimage route beginning near the Pool of Siloam and continuing uphill toward the Temple Mount, which is the journey worshippers would have made during the Second Temple period.
The Pool of Siloam carries particular significance because of the story in John 9 which records Jesus sending a man born blind there to wash before the man returned able to see.
Portions of the massive pool complex were uncovered in 2004 after infrastructure work unexpectedly exposed ancient stone steps.
Archaeologist Eli Shukron told CBN that he believes the discovery was providential.
“God have his way,” Shukron said. “He led us to find the pool of Siloam.”
He recalled thinking that God was saying, “This is the moment that I want you to find the pool of Siloam.”
The excavation ultimately helped reveal the connection between the Siloam area and the Pilgrimage Road leading toward the temple. Archaeologist Itamar Burko was also interviewed by CBN and cautioned that the reservoir currently being excavated may not be the precise pool referenced in John, although another reservoir from Jesus’ time was located nearby as part of the larger Siloam complex.
Then there is the road itself.
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The massive stepped street was used by pilgrims traveling north toward the Temple Mount. Archaeologists have uncovered coins, weights, pottery and evidence of shops along the route, showing that this was not simply a ceremonial pathway but a thriving Jerusalem street.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee called the Pilgrimage Road “one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the history of the world, especially in the history of biblical archaeology.”
For Huckabee, these discoveries also point to something Christians cannot separate from their faith: its Jewish foundation.
“Without Judaism, there’s no Christianity,” Huckabee said. “Without Christianity and Judaism, there’s no Western civilization. And without Western civilization, there’s no America.”
He also argued that the ancient stones undermine claims that Jewish history in Jerusalem is a recent development.
“Every one of these stones cry out and say, ‘Not true,’” Huckabee said.
Even the climb itself illuminates Scripture.
Near the Temple Mount, licensed tour guide Te’ena Reichbach Ben Haim pointed to the Songs of Ascents. Ancient pilgrims literally ascended toward Jerusalem and the temple, giving vivid context to Psalm 122: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”
“We can walk that,” Benheim told CBN. “We can touch that. We can be part of that history.”
She said visitors today can walk on stones connected to the world Jesus and His disciples lived in, making biblical history tangible in a completely different way. Looking ahead, she said the location connects “the past, the present, and the future,” expressing her hope for the day when people will worship in a house of prayer for all nations.
Yet one of the smallest artifacts featured during the program may have been among the most fascinating.
The Israel Antiquities Authority also presented an ancient golden bell to the CBN News team that was discovered near the Temple Mount. Its discovery immediately calls to mind Exodus 28, where God commands that golden bells be placed around the hem of the high priest’s robe.
Could this tiny bell have actually belonged to a high priest?
A pool. An ancient street. The path toward the Temple Mount. A golden bell still capable of ringing after centuries underground.
Piece by piece, Jerusalem’s ancient landscape is emerging again.
For Christians who have spent their lives reading about Jerusalem, these discoveries provide something extraordinary: the opportunity to see and touch the physical world where biblical history unfolded. These discoveries point to real cities, real roads and real people from thousands of years ago. Beneath Jerusalem, some of those stones of old are still crying out.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
