In a moment heavy with history and faith, Israel on Tuesday inaugurated the full length of the ancient Pilgrims’ Road—the 600-meter stone path that once carried worshippers from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple. The event, marking the completion of 13 years of excavation, was attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ambassador Mike Huckabee, ministers, Jerusalem’s mayor, and senior archaeologists.
“This is our city. It always was and always will be our city,” Netanyahu declared. “Two thousand years after the destruction of the Second Temple, we uncover our past and build our future upon it. Jerusalem will never be divided again.” He linked the discovery to Israel’s covenantal roots, rejecting attempts to sever Jerusalem from the Jewish people: “Our shared Judeo-Christian heritage was born right here.”
Rubio framed the ceremony as testimony to the biblical values that shaped both Israel and America. “The principles that founded the United States 250 years ago came from the words first written here,” he said. “To stand on this road is to stand where faith gave birth to freedom.”
Huckabee, visibly moved, recalled the Roman destruction in 70 CE: “They tried to erase this people and this place. But the Jews never forgot. Tonight the stones cry out the truth—that the Jewish people belong here, not just today, but for 4,000 years.”
The Pilgrimage Road is an enduring cultural and historical bond between the United States and Israel. It’s a powerful reminder of the Judeo-Christian values that inspired America’s Founding Fathers. pic.twitter.com/o18ubpDqrT
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) September 15, 2025
Archaeologists described the excavation as among the most ambitious in the world, tunneling under modern Jerusalem to reveal layers spanning 2,500 years. Discoveries include coins inscribed “For the Freedom of Zion,” ritual vessels, and a rare silver half-shekel used for Temple offerings. The Pool of Siloam—mentioned in both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament—anchors the road, highlighting its universal resonance.
Photo: Haim Zach/GPO
City of David Director David Be’eri said the road’s unveiling comes at a time when enemies deny the Jewish bond to Jerusalem. “These stones refute their lies,” he said. “Generations of pilgrims walked here. Now, after 2,000 years, millions more will retrace their steps.”
For Israel, the project is both archaeological and theological: proof that the Jewish story in Jerusalem is not myth but material fact, carved in stone. For Christians, it reinforces the roots of their own faith in the city where the Bible unfolded. For both, the Pilgrims’ Road is not only history uncovered—it is a validation of biblical truth.
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