(Photo: Naftali Hilger)
By Renee Ghert-Zand - March 12, 2018
Originally appeared here in the Times of Israel
King David made a big, bold and bright return to Jerusalem Sunday evening at an advance showing of the Tower of David Museum‘s new Night Experience.
The biblical leader who reigned over the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah three millennia ago comes to life again on the inner walls of the ancient citadel next to the Old City’s Jaffa Gate.
The Tower of David is a fitting backdrop for this spectacle where visitors are drawn in as images excitingly pop off the ancient stones — thanks to cutting-edge laser and sound technology.
Although the warrior-poet lived a thousand years before any part of the citadel was constructed, his name has been associated with it since the Herodian period, based on the writings of Jewish historian Josephus Flavius. Archeological evidence indicates that David actually established is the City of David in the Kidron Valley, an area outside the Old City walls and south of the Temple Mount in what is today the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
At the new Tower of David spectacle, a 45-minute narrative of the king’s mythical life begins with the arrival of his great-grandmother Ruth the Moabite to Bethlehem. It continues through to the height of his reign, making stops along the way at key scenes familiar to Bible readers. Read More