For the first time in nearly two millennia, visitors are able to walk an ancient roadway in Jerusalem that dates back to the time of Christ, a discovery that is stirring hearts among Christians around the world.
The path, known to archaeologists as the Pilgrims’ Road, once connected the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount during the Second Temple period. According to Fox News, the stone street stretches approximately 1,970 feet, nearly half a mile, through ancient Jerusalem and was originally constructed in the first century A.D.
The road functioned as a central thoroughfare in the holy city. In a statement cited by Fox News, the City of David described it as serving “as a major artery of movement in ancient Jerusalem,” explaining that “local residents, merchants, visitors and pilgrims passed along this route, arriving in Jerusalem from across the land and from around the world.”
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For Christians, the Pool of Siloam holds particular biblical importance. It is the site where Jesus healed the man born blind (John 9), sending him to wash in its waters. To now walk the very stones that may have borne the footsteps of Christ and His contemporaries is, for many believers, a powerful spiritual experience.
The roadway was abruptly abandoned during the Great Revolt against Rome, which culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in 70 A.D. According to Fox News, it “remained buried beneath layers of Earth for about two millennia.”
What makes the discovery even more extraordinary is its preservation. The City of David emphasized, according to Fox News, “The street has not been reconstructed or redesigned,” adding, “It was uncovered exactly as it was [and] left untouched.” Rather than rebuilding or modernizing the site, archaeologists have allowed visitors to encounter the authentic remains of ancient Jerusalem.
Tours now begin with an overlook of the ancient city, proceed through an underground passage, and conclude near the southern wall of the Temple Mount at Davidson Archaeological Park. The City of David stated, according to Fox News, that the experience “lasts approximately two hours and is suitable for families with children, adults and organized groups.”
Beyond its archaeological value, the road carries profound religious meaning. A City of David official told Fox News Digital that walking the path between the Pool of Siloam and the Temple Mount is “deeply significant.” The spokesperson noted that the Jewish connection to the area reaches back “some four millennia to the time of Abraham,” and for Christians, it stretches back “some 2,000 years to the foundational moments of their faith.”
He further emphasized the uniqueness of the site, explaining, “While there may be other ancient roads from antiquity, both in and outside of Israel, few if any have the significance of the Pilgrimage Road — with meaning to billions, not just millions.”
For Catholic pilgrims especially, Jerusalem is not merely a historical location but a living testimony to salvation history. To walk this road is to be reminded that the events of the Gospel unfolded in real places, on real streets, among real people. The reopening of the Pilgrims’ Road offers believers an opportunity to step into that history in a tangible way — to trace, stone by stone, the path that once led worshippers toward the Temple, and perhaps carried Our Lord Himself along the way.
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