Step Inside The Hidden Tunnels Under Jerusalem's Sacred Western Wall

Located in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City, the Western Wall is one of the most famous religious sites in the world, and the most sacred place in the Jewish faith.

Although the Western Wall is best known for its open-air synagogue where Jewish pilgrims come to pray at the remains of the Second Temple, the outdoor plaza is merely just the tip of the iceberg for this holy site. The Wall actually extends for another 1,591 feet in a labyrinthine maze of tunnels underneath the Old City, exposing remnants of Jerusalem's past dating back to the 2nd century B.C.

During a visit to Jerusalem with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul this month, I was lucky enough to get a private tour of these tunnels, guided by Isaac Applbaum, a Silicon Valley angel investor who sits on the board of the foundation that oversees the Western Wall.

Click here to take the tour >

Applbaum, the unofficial "Chief Evangelist" of the Western Wall Tunnels, gave me an inside look at the underground ruins, including excavations west of the plaza that are not yet open to the public.

He also explained the significance of the tunnels to the Jewish people:

"The most important events in the history of the Jewish people happened right here," Applbaum said. "I actually feel my ancestry, I feel my history, I feel my religion. My great-great-great-great grandfather worked here, toiled here, found his religion here. It's like coming home."

Like almost everything in Jerusalem, however, the Western Wall Tunnels are a source of political and religious controversy. Because the wall runs alongside the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque — sacred sites to the Muslim faith — Arabs and Israelis have frequently clashed over control of the Wall.

Palestinians have also protested Israel's excavations in the Western Wall Tunnels, arguing that the archaeological digs are further attempts to boost Israel's claim to the Western Wall, and by extension, the city.

Applbaum does not dispute the claim:

"Why do we do all this? First of all, it's for us — this is our heritage," he said. "Secondly, because so many people say we have no right to be here, that this isn't ours. This is the history of the Jewish people in real time."

As Applbaum's comments — and the following photos — reveal, the Western Wall Tunnels are really a microcosm for Jerusalem itself: From the Jews to the Romans to the Ottomans, everyone has always wanted to build here and lay claim to its 2,000-year history.