The
Tower
of
David
(Hebrew:
מגדל
דוד,
Migdál
Davíd,
Arabic:
برج
داود,
Burj
Dāwūd),
also
known
as
the
Jerusalem
Citadel,
is
an
ancient
citadel
located
near
the
Jaffa
Gate
entrance
to
western
edge
of
the
Old
City
of
Jerusalem.
The
citadel
that
stands
today
dates
to
the
Mamluk
and
Ottoman
periods.
It
was
built
on
the
site
of
a
series
of
earlier
ancient
fortifications
of
the
Hasmonean,
Herodian-era,
Byzantine
and
Early
Muslim
periods,
after
being
destroyed
repeatedly
during
the
last
decades
of
Crusader
presence
in
the
Holy
Land
by
Ayyubid
and
Mamluk
rulers.[1]
It
contains
important
archaeological
finds
dating
back
over
2,000
years
including
a
quarry
dated
to
the
First
Temple
period,
and
is
a
popular
venue
for
benefit
events,
craft
shows,
concerts,
and
sound-and-light
performances.
Dan
Bahat
writes
that
the
original
three
Hasmonean
towers
were
altered
by
Herod,
and
that
"The
northeastern
tower
was
replaced
by
a
much
larger,
more
massive
tower,
dubbed
the
"Tower
of
David"
beginning
in
the
5th
century
C.E."[2]
The
name
"Tower
of
David"
is
due
to
Byzantine
Christians
who
believed
the
site
to
be
the
palace
of
King
David.[3]
They
borrowed
the
name
"Tower
of
David"
from
the
Song
of
Songs,
attributed
to
Solomon,
King
David's
son,
who
wrote:
"Thy
neck
is
like
the
Tower
of
David
built
with
turrets,
whereon
there
hang
a
thousand
shields,
all
the
armor
of
the
mighty
men."[4]
-from,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_David