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The Tenth of Tevet is a somber day in Jewish history. The date marks the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylonia, and the onset of the battle that resulted in the destruction of the Temple and the 70-year Babylonian exile.

Two-and-a-half millennia later, the walls of Jerusalem are as strong and beautiful as ever. They serve as a metaphor of strength for a people and a nation which remain under siege in many ways.

The walls you see today around Jerusalem's old city were built by the Turkish sultan Suleiman the "Magnificent" during the years 1536-1541.

For the artist, they are a creative paradise. No matter what season, time of day, or even where one stands along the four-kilometer span, their beauty never fails to inspire.

This essay features a few of the moments I have captured while admiring their grandeur.

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Yehoshua Halevi is a photojournalist, event photographer, teacher, writer, and trekking guide who lives in the Judean Mountains south of Jerusalem. A self-taught photographer, his work has appeared in National Geographic and Jewish publications around the world. View more of his work at www.goldenlightimages.com.