Tomb of King David on Mount Zion is located near the Benedictine Abbey of the Assumption. In the XII century, this place is considered as the legendary burial place of the biblical King.

King David - one of the most colorful figures of the Old Testament, the image of the ideal ruler, of a kind which came prophesied Messiah, Jesus Christ. The simple shepherd David was anointed by the prophet Samuel in the future kingdom. The poet and musician, playing the harp, he saved King Saul from evil spirits. Brave warrior, he defeated Goliath the giant, just that stone from a sling. Saul was jealous for the glory of David, the future king had to emigrate and even go into the service of their recent enemies, the Philistines. When Saul died, the tribe of Judah proclaimed him king of the Jews. After two years of civil war, the elders recognized David king of all Israel.

David became a great king. He turned Jerusalem into a major religious center by placing the Ark of the Covenant on Mount Zion (the affected Jews have observed an unprecedented spectacle: the king himself danced before the Ark, who were carrying the Tabernacle). David united Israel, creating great power from Sinai to the Euphrates. He prepared the construction of the First Temple, leaving everything necessary (drawings and tools) to his son Solomon.

David was not a perfect man. He seduced the wife of Uriah, Bathsheba warrior, and her husband sent to certain death. Repent of this sin, the king wrote a heartfelt penitential Psalm (fifty), whose words for thousands of years washed the soul - "Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy ...". The image of the ruler was captured in a variety of works of art, the most famous of them - the sculpture "David" by Michelangelo.

Died at the age of seventy years, the king was buried in Jerusalem, "the city of David." But the exact location of his burial, scientists still argue.

The current tomb (perhaps cenotaph) is located on the first floor of the building remaining from the medieval church of the Holy Zion. Burial found in the XII century, during the renovation of the temple. Its history over the past since eight centuries known bad, because then hosted Persians, Crusaders, the warriors of Saladin, the Ottoman Turks. The building is now part of a yeshiva (Jewish religious school). On its top floor is a room deemed Room of the Last Supper. More above, on the roof, stands a Muslim minaret.

In 1948-1967 years, when the Old City was occupied by Jordan, Jewish pilgrims flocked here from around the world - look at inaccessible Wailing Wall to pray. It was then (in 1949) gravestone was covered in velvet embroidered with gold text of the Torah. The premises of the tomb - a few quiet cool rooms with vaulted ceilings. All placards - in Hebrew. Before the entrance to the tomb is a monument to Russian tsar work by sculptor Alexander Demin Ustenko and Alexander.

Although the contents of the sarcophagus has never been scientific analysis, age-old tradition is firmly connects it with the name of the legendary ruler of the family which was the world savior.