Western Wall Tunnel - Jerusalem, Israel

One of the highlights of our trip to Israel was a visit to the Western Wall Tunnel, also called the Rabbinical Tunnel. Tours of this tunnel are limited and must be planned in advance. Traveling with an organized tour group, this was all handled by our tour guide. Groups gather in the entrance to the tunnels just to the west of the Western Wall. Groups are allowed to go down at intervals, to allow the group before to clear out. I believe the increments may have been every fifteen minutes, but I don't think they use a hard and fast rule for the timing.

The tunnels were really dark, with lighting that was not conducive to either a point-and-shoot camera or a smart phone camera. I took several photos in the tunnels, but they are not clear enough to share. Instead, I will share a couple of the lighted glass plaques that hang on the walls and give a general overview of this tour.

There are lots of nooks in the tunnel, created by various aqueducts and archways that would have been visible prior to expansion of the city walls and/or the sacking of the city. The layers of history have seen many elements of the tunnels converted to various use to include giant cisterns and storage areas.

The first nook we visited had a video playing along with a topographical map of Jerusalem. There were 3 Dimensional overlays that were placed on top of each other to show the differences in the layout of Jerusalem at different periods of time. The video was decent, the map a bit campy, but instructive. It helped me make sense of the layout of the tunnels and how they were created.

Inside the tunnels are a special prayer area (I seem to recall that women were permitted to come into this section to pray prior to getting married). We saw a couple of unaccompanied women in the tunnels while we toured. There is also a plexiglass viewing area that allow visitors to see into the covered area of the Western Wall that I described as a library/study area when I discussed the Western Wall.

One of the most impressive structures in the Tunnel is a pair of cornerstones laid during the Herodian era. These two massive stones are the size of a bus. The massive stones are among the largest objects ever moved without the benefit of machinery. There is a video further along that discusses the process of putting those stones in place. There are cutouts in the stone that appear to be where levers may have been attached to assist in moving the stones.

Among the lighted plaques in the otherwise dark tunnel is a plaque denoting the location of Warren's Arch discovered in the mid Nineteenth Century. This was once one of four entrances to the Temple Mount. The outline of the arch is still visible in the wall, but has been stoned in.

Another plaque indicates the location pinpointed as the closest point to the Holy of Holies. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. These are actually the best photos I took in the tunnel. The lighting wreaked havoc on my cameras.

Originally, visitors had to do a U-Turn and return the way they entered. A proposal was made to create an exit through an ancient water system, but that was seen as a power grab by Israel, as the tunnels end in the Muslim Quarter of the city. In 1996, PM Netanyahu authorized creation of an exit to the Via Dolorosa above. The move started riots that ended with dozens of deaths. It is a tragic statement that something that offered convenience to us tourists created such senseless violence.

Prior to exiting to the Via Dolorosa, we visited the Struthian Pools, which are part of an ancient water system. The pools still hold water. The pools were used to collect water during the rainy season for use during the winter months. The pools were steadily dripping while we navigated the suspended walkways over the pools to the staircase out. The exit led us directly to the Via Dolorosa, where we were able to resume our tour with the portion that included "running where Jesus walked." The tour took about an hour to complete.

Be sure to check out my other experiences in Israel!

A Christian Guide to Israel

Hotels
Cinema Hotel Tel Aviv, Israel
Ron Beach Hotel, Tiberias, Israel
Prima Park Hotel Jerusalem, Israel

Attractions
Caesarea National Park Caesarea, Israel
Mount Precipice Mount Kedimum, Israel
Sea of Galilee Boat Ride Tiberias, Israel
Yigal Alon Museum (Jesus Boat) Ginosar, Israel
Capernaum, Israel
St. Peter’s Restaurant Kinneret, Israel
Caesarea Phillipi Banias, Israel
Gadot Lookout and Memorial Golan Heights, Israel
Jordan River Baptismal Site Yardenit, Israel
Beit She’an National Park Beit She’an, Israel
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel
Garden Tomb Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall Tunnels, Jerusalem, Israel
Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem, Israel
Bethlehem New Store Gift Shop
Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem, Israel
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel
House of Caiaphas the High Priest, Jerusalem, Israel
The Upper Room, Jerusalem, Israel
Tomb of King David, Jerusalem, Israel
Masada National Park, Masada, Israel
The Dead Sea, Masada, Israel

Churches
Discalced Carmelite Monastery Muhraqa, Israel
Basilica of the Annunciation Nazareth, Israel
St. Peter’s Church Capernaum, Israel
Church of the Multiplication Tabgha, Israel
Church of the Beatitudes Tabgha, Israel
Church of All Nations Jerusalem, Israel
Church of Saint Anne, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank

Unless otherwise indicated, these photos are my own. They may be used with permission.