This magnificent citadel encapsulates the history of Jerusalem. With foundations going back to the 9th century BCE, the time of the Jewish kings, the building owes its solid and imposing grandeur to Herod the Great who fortified this palace in 40 BCE. From 6 CE it became the Jerusalem residence of the Roman procurators and after laying waste to the land of Israel after 70 CE, it was the main garrison for the Roman army of occupation. In the 11th century it fell to the Crusaders who were replaced in the 14th century by the Mamluks who, in turn, were replaced by the Ottomans. After the Ottomans left in 1917 it was held by the British and from 1948-1967 by the Jordanians.

Today King David’s Tower, a fascinating and dynamic monument to its past occupiers, has become a symbol of Jewish national sovereignty.

With particularly handsome calligraphy, the arch framing the tower proclaims Psalm 137:5:

“If I forget you, Oh Jerusalem,
Let my right hand whither.”

The border repeats those lines and goes on to recite verse 6:

“Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth,
If I do not remember you,
If I do not set Jerusalem
Above my highest joy.”