Siloam Tunnel (Tunnel of Shiloh)

Considered by many to be a key destination for any Jewish Israel tour, Siloam Tunnel may be the greatest aspect of visiting the City of David. The tunnel is 1500ft long and was created by King Hezekiah to protect Jerusalem's water supply, the Gihon Spring, in 701 BCE from the Assyrians (2 Chron. 32:2-4).It was rediscovered in 1867 by Captain Charles Warren, who found an ancient Hebrew inscription near the exit of the tunnel that described its construction. The inscription stated that two teams of diggers began digging at opposite ends with pickaxes until they met in the middle, using the sounds of each other's pickaxes to guide them towards one another. Siloam Tunnel does have water in it, so it's important to plan accordingly for appropriate clothing during your Israel tour. The total walk in the water takes about 45 minutes and is suggested for visitors who can wade through 2 feet of moving water. For those who wish to stay a bit more dry, another tunnel was uncovered that is not quite as interesting as Siloam Tunnel, but gives you a taste of all the work and planning that went into both.