Zedekiah’s Cave, or Solomon’s Quarries, is a vast cave that runs under the Old City of Jerusalem.
This cave is said to be where King Zedekiah the escape from the Chaldeans and were King Solomon got the Jerusalem stone to construction of the First Temple.
Deep inside the cave, there is a barely flowing spring. Legend has it that its waters are the tears shed by King Zedekiah as Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BCE.
Once the largest quarry in ancient Jerusalem, the cave runs under the Jewish Quarter and Muslim Quarters of the Old City, stretching from Jeremiah’s Grotto to the walls of the Old City.
Only the mouth of Zedekiah’s Cave is a natural phenomenon. The interior of the cavern was carved over a period of several thousand years.
The midrash Numbers Rabbah mentions the cave: “One who observed the Sabbath in a cave, even though it be like the cave of Zedekiah, which was eighteen miles long, may walk through the whole of it…”.
Herod used the main quarry at Zedekiah’s Cave for building blocks in the renovation of the Temple and its retaining walls, including the Western Wall.
While Suleiman the Magnificent used it to build present walls around the Old City, also mined the quarry.
The cave has been a popular tourist destination since it’s rediscovery in 1854.
Nowadays, it used as used as a venue for boutique performances and considered an “unusual performing spot” by most of the artists thanks to the experience it provides with its exceptional acoustics.
The line-up of the shows is available on the official Facebook page.
The staff of Zedekiah’s Cave offers a guided tour in the cave and the secret tunnel.
Also, the cave also serves as a site for events with various sitting options. Up to 500 people can be hosted here during any time of day and night and allows catering services.