Sen. Daines walks ancient Pilgrimage Road, touches biblical history in City of David

During his recent trip to Israel, Sen. Steve Daines walked the newly excavated Pilgrimage Road – the steps ascending to the Temple Mount from the Pool of Siloam, where Christ healed a man born blind, as recorded in John 9.

An excavation guide “pulled out a little piece of charcoal, and he told me to hold out my hand,” the Republican from Montana told The Lion in an interview. “He rubbed this black charcoal in my hand, and he said, ‘What you see right there is the charcoal from the remains of when the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, 70 AD.’”

Daines attended the Inauguration for the Pilgrimage Road of the City of David with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other distinguished guests, including Miriam Adelson, who helped fund The City of David excavations.

About 100 guests sat in the Old City of David, facing the Temple Mount – the location of Mt. Moriah, where Scripture says God stopped Abraham from slaughtering Isaac.

After the ceremony, guests ascended the ancient steps, previously buried beneath modern-day streets.

Construction workers repairing sewage pipes first discovered the archeological site in 2004. Prior to this discovery, a much smaller pool, near the excavation of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, was believed to be the Pool of Siloam. The actual site of the pool is the size of two Olympic swimming pools, where more than one million Israelites would wash for the feast of Yom Kippur, Daines said.

“Right next to these stones and on these pavements, the prophets of Israel prophesized, the kings of Israel walked,” Netanyahu said at the ceremony. “The Pilgrims came, and some of the most poetic Psalms and prophecies and Proverbs in the history of humanity were written, inspiring not only our people, but all of humanity. …

“And this continued for 1,000 years into the time of Jesus, a Jewish rabbi from the Galilee who came here to Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies. He came here to that Pool in Siloam to be purified, where he also performed a miracle of helping the blind see.”

In addition to the archeological attractions, numerous historical artifacts confirm biblical records, Daines said.

“The archeology screams what the truth is, and that is the Jewish people have been there for 4,000 years,” the senator said. “The ground, the very rocks are crying out what the truth is.”

At the ceremony, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the laws and principles of the United States and many other modern nations root in the ancient teachings of Israel.

“For deep inside of us, we all know that we were created for a purpose and for a reason, that our dignity comes from our Creator,” Rubio said. “We deeply believe in our country principles from the God of Abraham.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also spoke, saying the Jewish people have belonged to the land of Israel for 4,000 years and have finally returned.

“The Jewish people never forgot that this was their land, their home, their undivided, indisputable indigenous capital,” Huckabee said. “We thank you for giving all of us a foundation of morality and decency and civilization upon which our own faith is built.”

Despite the rising and falling of kingdoms, Rubio said the people of Israel have remained.

“As you go through the layers of history, you realize that all the civilizations that conquered the city, all the ones and tore it down and build on top, are all gone. The Roman Empire is no more, nor any of the others that sought to conquer and rule this land,” he said.

“But one people remain, and they have returned. For God’s promise is eternal and it is perfect, and His Word is always true. I’m honored to be a part of this fulfillment here with you tonight.”

Netanyahu thanked Trump for his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017 and the establishment of the U.S. embassy in the Holy City. He said despite the “Islamist forces” who “deny our heritage” and “deny Jerusalem,” Israel will defend its capital against any attack.

“This is our city. It is forever our city,” he said. “It will never be divided again.”

Photo credit: cityofdavid.org.