Tour Ancient
Jerusalem
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Imagine being able to glide your hand over stone walls built by King Solomon, or walk through an ancient gatehouse used as a pulpit by Isaiah and other biblical prophets. Imagine being able to visit King David’s palace, or walk through the 1,740-foot tunnel carved from stone by King Hezekiah, or peer into the pit Jeremiah the prophet was cast into.

Thanks to the work of Dr. Mazar and colleagues, as well as the efforts of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David Foundation, visitors to ancient Jerusalem can now experience all this biblical history and much, much more!

As part of its mission to share ancient Jerusalem’s biblical history, the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology provides personal tours of the City of David and the Ophel.

The standard tour takes roughly three hours. However, the tour can be tailored to meet specific needs, interests or time constraints.

The tour starts on the Ophel, or what Dr. Mazar liked to call “King Solomon’s royal quarter.” Here, you will walk through a massive gatehouse and by walls constructed during the reign of King Solomon, and visit the exact location where the personal seals of King Hezekiah and Isaiah were discovered.

From the Ophel, you will take the short walk to the City of David. Here, the tour guides will show you the colossal ruins of the Large Stone Structure and explain the science that led Dr. Mazar and others to conclude that these are the ancient foundations of King David’s palace. In the City of David, you will also see the impressive Stepped Stone Structure, the location of Nehemiah’s hastily constructed wall (Nehemiah 6), and the exact location where the bullae of the Judean princes responsible for imprisoning the Prophet Jeremiah were found (Jeremiah 38).

Finally, the tour will end with a visit to the Gihon Spring, Jerusalem’s only perennial water source. Hidden by fortification structures constructed during the time of Abraham, this natural spring is one of Jerusalem’s greatest attractions. From the Gihon, you can choose to walk through the 2,700-year-old water tunnel built by King Hezekiah while under threat from Assyria’s King Sennacherib.

If you want to see how the modern science of archaeology is bringing to life biblical history, don’t miss our tour.
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Reviews
June 2026—Thanks, Chris, for an otherworldly, amazing behind-the-scenes tour. We’ll follow your progress in Area E!
Salford, United Kingdom
May 2026—Once again thanks so much to Chris and Nick for our very special tour through the Ophel and the City of David! BTW, we walked past your institute the other day—very nice place.
Geislingen, Germany
April 2026—Thank you so much for the incredible tour of the Ophel excavation, one of the most fascinating experiences I’ve ever had—I seriously haven’t stopped talking about it since. Being able to walk through the site and especially learning about the cistern was unforgettable. It brought the history to life in a way I’ve never experienced before. Thanks again for such a meaningful and memorable experience.
Jerusalem, Israel
April 2026—I can’t thank you enough for the tour you gave my visiting in-laws. My wife and her family are going on and on about it. It’s the highlight of their trip!
Jerusalem, Israel
February 2026—I just want to thank you again for the wonderful tour. My son also enjoyed it very much. Perhaps it has sparked his interest in biblical archaeology! All the best for your work.
Ostfriesland, Germany
January 2026—Chris, you are the Real Deal: passionate and out your subject, knowledgeable, and a gifted teacher. You have deepened my knowledge and appreciation for biblical archeology, and I will be forever grateful. I have long been a fan of your work, but our personal interaction was above and beyond. See you this summer, at the dig!
Los Angeles, United States
November 2025—I wanted to thank you again for the tour. I really enjoyed it. Your deep knowledge shines through in the way you explain things, making everything clear and engaging. It’s also obvious that your work in the excavations has given you a level of understanding most people never get to see, which made the experience especially meaningful.
Jerusalem, Israel
November 2025—Thank you for the professional and eye-opening tour of the Ophel. It was fascinating. Your knowledge and expertise shone through in every way. I learned a lot, and the information I gained will be useful in my writing.
Jerusalem, Israel
June 2025—Imagine running your hand along walls built by Solomon, walking through an ancient gate used by Isaiah and other prophets, visiting King David’s palace. I managed to do all of this. Thank you, Chris, for taking the time to show me the excavation site.
Warsaw, Poland
May 2025—After one week of absorbing all the information from your tour of the Ophel, we want to sincerely thank you for your time, generosity, and expertise.
Jerusalem, Israel
August 2024—I joined you yesterday during your amazing guiding at the City of David. I want to thank you very much for the information and sympathy. From a fellow tour guide.
Jerusalem, Israel
June 2023—This tour turned out to be a major highlight of my trip to Jerusalem. Mr. Nagtegaal’s extensive knowledge of this area, bolstered by his literal hands-on experience, proved fascinating at every turn. As a bonus, I'm grateful that he gently nudged me to walk Hezekiah’s water tunnel. Others in the tunnel would have missed key details from Brent that brought the tunnel creation and Assyrian siege to life for me.
Texas, United States
April 2023—Our guided tour of the Ophel and the City of David archaeological sites was a wonderful experience. Our tour guide, Brent’s, knowledge of the archaeology was impressive and his enthusiasm for his subject was infectious. He went above and beyond our expectations. Highly recommended tour!
Vancouver, Canada
April 2023—I have been a tour guide in Israel for nearly 30 years, yet I needed to update my knowledge of the recent discoveries. I watched Brent Nagtegaal’s YouTube videos and was impressed with his excellent knowledge. His experience supervising some of the Ophel archaeological digs and his close relationship with Dr. Eilat Mazar made him the perfect teacher I needed. I would highly recommend him to any group wanting to find the best possible guide for a tour of the City of David and the Ophel.
Texas, United States
The tour Brent gave us included the Ophel, City of David, and Nehemiah’s tunnel. It was the highlight of our stay in Israel. It is a completely unique and extraordinary experience to be toured by someone that has worked so closely with Dr. Eilat Mazar to excavate sites that we were walking through. His first hand experience, in-depth research and passion for Jerusalem’s history brought ancient Jerusalem to life.
Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Ophel and City of David. The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. He was personally involved in archaeological digs at these sites, which really came through in the detail and enthusiasm of the tour. For example, he was able to point out the exact location where certain artefacts that gained international acclaim were found, which gave more life to the tour.
Great Alne, United Kingdom
5 out of 5 stars! We highly recommend! The tour was both very informative. It’s literally a “touch and walk through the pages of the bible” experience. Thanks to our very well-informed, friendly and articulate tour guide, who made this breathtaking tour possible. Also, worth mentioning are the shops at the City of David if you want to buy some souvenirs.
Angeles City, Philippines
We had the wonderful pleasure of visiting several major excavation sites in the heart of Jerusalem. Seeing sections of Nehemiah’s Wall and David’s Palace first-hand is both breathtaking and exciting. Walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel is unforgettable. These experiences help make the Bible come alive for sure!
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Our ancient Jerusalem tour in October 2019 of the Ophel excavations, the City of David, King David’s Palace, the Gihon Spring, Hezekiah’s Tunnel and finishing at the Pool of Siloam was the most deeply extraordinary experience that we will never forget. Brent’s commentary, based on many years of experience of excavating these areas and researching all the historical data was so compelling, that we had three additional people request to join our group, as we were going.
Perth, Western Australia
Tour Guides
Brent Nagtegaal
Brent first came to Israel in 2006 as a student volunteering on Phase 2 of Dr. Eilat Mazar’s City of David excavations. Since then, Brent has participated in all of Dr. Mazar’s excavations in the City of David and on the Ophel, and on most of the continuing Ophel excavations led by Profs. Uzi Leibner, Orit Peleg-Barkat and Yosef Garfinkel. Brent was Area Supervisor at the City of David in 2008 and on the Ophel in 2012–13 under the direction of Dr. Mazar, and again on the Ophel in 2026 under the direction of Professor Garfinkel. He was assistant curator for the Seals of Jeremiah’s Captors Discovered exhibition in 2011–12, the Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered exhibition in 2018–19, and the Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered exhibition in 2024–25. He is the primary host of the Let the Stones Speak podcast and YouTube channel, and is a contributing editor to the Let the Stones Speak magazine.
Christopher Eames
Chris first came to Israel in 2012 as a student volunteering on Phase 2 of Dr. Eilat Mazar’s Ophel excavations. Since then, Chris has participated in all continuing Ophel excavations, serving as Assistant Area Supervisor in 2013 and Area Supervisor in 2018 under the direction of Dr. Mazar, as well as working as her office assistant at Hebrew University. He also served as Area Supervisor for the various 2022–26 seasons under the direction of Profs. Uzi Leibner, Orit Peleg-Barkat and Yosef Garfinkel. He was assistant curator for the Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered exhibition in 2018–19 and the Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered exhibition in 2024–25. He is co-host of the Let the Stones Speak podcast and YouTube channel, and is a contributing editor to the Let the Stones Speak magazine.
Nicholas Irwin
Nick first came to Israel in 2018 as a student volunteering on Dr. Eilat Mazar’s final Ophel excavation. Returning to Israel with his family in 2024, Nick has participated in all continuing Ophel excavations from 2024 onward, including serving as assistant area supervisor in 2026 under the direction of Prof. Yosef Garfinkel. Nick was a tour guide for the Seals of Jeremiah’s Captors Discovered exhibition and the Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered exhibition. Nick co-hosts the Let the Stones Speak podcast and YouTube channel, is assistant managing editor of the Let the Stones Speak magazine, and currently manages the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology’s Jerusalem office.
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