City of David

This Thursday I attended the annual conference relating to the researches that are taking place in the City of David. I had the privilege of participating in the tour of the archeological digs at the Givati's former parking lot. We were shown the foundations of the Hakara (a fortress) that enabled the Greeks to dominate Jerusalem and the Temple area. Only when Simeon (the Hashmonite ruler) managed to conquer the Hakara and oust the Greeks from Jerusalem were the Jews able to really celebrate their independence! It is highly recommended to do this tour when visiting the City of David. In the photo I am pointing to the foundations of the Hakara's wall and Southwestern Tower. When Trifon (the Seleucid king) demands Simeon to return the cities that he had conquered, Simeon answers him: "We did not take a foreign land nor did we dominate alien people. It is our ancestral land that was conquered once upon a time unjustly. And we, when it became possible, reclaimed the land of our forefathers." (Book of Macabeans 1 Chapter 15 Verses 36-37) G-d willing the modern government of Israel will internalize Simeon's reply. Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and a year when we will finally return to the Zionism of the Macabeans.