King David’s Tomb – Jerusalem, Israel

A site that many tour groups will visit is King David’s tomb. Tradition behind this is very shaky, dating only to the 12th Century. The tomb is situated on the ground floor of the remains of the former Hagia Zion, a Byzantine church. While it is very doubtful that King David was buried here, there is some evidence that the area may have served at one point as a burial ground for Judah’s Kings. 

Digging Deeper

The Crusaders identified this place as the location of the Last Supper. However, 1st Century Jerusalem would have been located a full-story below the present structure.  Later, Muslim conquerors turned this into a mosque.

There is an older Byzantine tradition dating to the 4th century that identifies this location as “Cenacle of Jesus” – that is, the original meeting place of the Christian faith. It would appear that during the 1st Century, the structure located here was a kind of house of worship, or a synagogue as it were. The interesting thing is that it is oriented toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher location. This adds credence to the idea that the early Jerusalem assembly of believers may have in fact met here. 

Scriptural Significance

 “…And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

Acts 4: 31

If this is correct, then perhaps evens associated with the early gathering of believers in Jerusalem may have taken place here:

  • Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)
  • Ananias and Sapphire (Acts 5)
  • Appointing of Stephen and the other deacons (Acts 6)
  • Sending of Barnabas to Antioch (Acts 11)
  • Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)