This Happened in Jerusalem When You Weren’t Looking

Last month Jerusalem unveiled its historic Pilgrimage Road, evidence of an ancient and continuous Jewish presence in the region.

Workers for the Israeli antiquities authority excavate a newly uncovered dam in the Siloam Pool in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem on Aug. 26, 2025. John Wessels/AFP

Commentary

Unveiling Ancient Truths

While some have aggressively demanded we “follow the science”—as throughout the COVID-19 pandemic— this insistence often falters when faced with inconvenient evidence. Biblical archaeology, for instance, consistently unearths irrefutable evidence of an ancient and continuous Jewish presence in the region historically known as Palestine—yet these discoveries are routinely ignored or dismissed.

Earlier in September, Jerusalem unveiled its historic Pilgrimage Road. A ceremony marked the completion of years-long excavations, allowing the ancient stone pathway—dating to the Second Temple period and connecting the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount—to be fully accessible end-to-end for the first time in 2,000 years. The Pool of Siloam is where the Bible tells us Jesus healed a blind man.

Celebrating a Shared Heritage

This historic event, attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and other dignitaries, marked a profound moment in archaeology, diplomacy, and faith. Regrettably, the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk just five days earlier cast a shadow over the occasion, dominating headlines and limiting global attention to the unveiling. As a result, the profound significance of what took place in Jerusalem that week may have gone unnoticed by many.