Where was House of David filmed? This epic biblical series turned Greece and Canada into ancient Israel, with real sheep, real stones, and real drama.
Before he slung that famous stone, David was just a shepherd boy wrestling sheep in cold mountain air.
House of David on Amazon Prime Video follows Michael Iskander‘s David from humble pastures to royal anointing by Stephen Lang‘s Samuel, while Ali Suliman‘s King Saul crumbles under pride’s weight.
Martyn Ford‘s 6’8″ Goliath looms large – no CGI giants here. The series, one of Greece‘s largest TV productions ever, employed over 600 local professionals, because director Jon Erwin wanted “real dirt, earth, and trees,” not “Hollywood plastic.”
The creators scouted Jordan, Morocco, and Italy before landing on Greece for its “vibrant energy” and archaeological depth that felt authentically like ancient Israel in 1000 BC.
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🏛️ House Of David Filming Locations
So where did they bring David’s world to life? Let’s journey to ancient Greece and Canada.
🏔️ Zagori & Konitsa, Epirus, Greece
Tucked in northwestern Greece, the Epirus region is home to the Vikos Gorge – one of the deepest gorges in the world – and the dramatic limestone “Towers of Astraka.”
This isn’t gentle farmland. This is jaw-dropping, vertical wilderness where cliffs drop thousands of feet and stone bridges from centuries ago still span turquoise rivers like the Voidomatis.
The team chose this raw, isolated landscape for the climactic showdown – untouched by time and built for biblical stakes. When David faces Goliath, you’re not watching a soundstage. You’re watching two figures silhouetted against one of the planet’s most dramatic natural amphitheaters.
Traditional stone villages like Papigo dot the region, looking exactly as they did centuries ago – no power lines, no cell towers, just stone, sky, and earth. For outdoor enthusiasts, this is heaven. For the House of David crew, it was the only place wild enough to host their biggest moment.
What was filmed here:
- David vs. Goliath battle: Sweeping cliffside combat with epic scale
- Wide plains sequences: Open battlefield terrain among limestone peaks
🏛️ Ancient Messene, Peloponnese, Greece
Here’s what makes Ancient Messene genuinely special, not just for film crews but for history lovers: unlike almost every other ancient Greek city, it was never built over by later settlements.
No medieval castle or modern towns on top of ancient ruins. Just a rare, complete Hippodamian grid – the forerunner of modern urban planning – with an intact ancient stadium that ranks among the best-preserved in Greece.
The theater features a unique moving stage mechanism that archaeologists are still studying. An imposing 9 km fortification wall still stands. You can literally walk freely through an entire classical city and feel its original scale.
The producers needed biblical cityscapes that felt grand, lived-in, and historically authentic. Ancient Messene delivered in spades.
For Director Jon Erwin, filming near structures thousands of years old added a layer of palpable history that “Hollywood plastic” sets simply cannot replicate.
When you see ancient Israel’s cities in the House of David series, you’re looking at stones that have witnessed two millennia of real human history.
What was filmed here:
- Ancient Messene’s stadium & theatre: Biblical cityscapes of ancient Israel
- The Hippodamian grid: Urban procession scenes in biblical streets
🏰 Acrocorinth, Peloponnese, Greece
Rising 575 meters above the ancient plain of Corinth, Acrocorinth is not a ruin you casually visit – it’s a monolithic rock fortress that served as a citadel for every major civilization that marched through Greece – Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans.
The triple gate system is still intact. The upper fortress walls still command the horizon. And the panoramic views? You can see the Saronic Gulf, the Gulf of Corinth, and the mountains of the Peloponnese all in one dizzying sweep.
This is the Acropolis of ancient Corinth, the city to which the Apostle Paul would later write his famous letters. Acrocorinth offered something few locations could: layers of biblical-era military architecture that felt genuinely ancient and defensible.
When King Saul’s forces occupy a high place, or military tension needs a rocky, imposing backdrop, this is where the cameras rolled. Acrocorinth’s wind-scoured stones and triple defensive walls offered the production a place that felt like the ancient world – because it literally is the ancient world.
What was filmed here:
- Acrocorinth Citadel & Fortress: Layers of history on a massive rock
- Acrocorinth’s Triple Gates: Military encampment shots as ancient defensive positions
🌄 Fyli & Lavreotiki, Attica, Greece
Sometimes a story needs a refuge. For David’s exile sequences – those raw, desperate chapters where he flees King Saul with a ragtag band of followers – the production needed landscapes that felt untamed, inhospitable, and yet strangely beautiful.
They found it in Fyli and Lavreotiki, two regions of Attica known for rugged hills, rocky outcrops, and cold mountain air that bites through cloaks. No postcard Greek beaches. Just hardscrabble terrain where survival requires grit.
Funnily enough, the single most difficult part of filming for Michael Iskander wasn’t acting opposite Martyn Ford‘s towering Goliath – it was wrangling the sheep, which frequently panicked and ran away.
Crew members would chase woolly escapees across the hillsides while Iskander waited, shepherd’s staff in hand, probably questioning his career choices. But that authentic frustration? It ended up on screen.
The “real dirt, earth, and trees” policy meant dealing with real animals, real weather, and real chaos – exactly the conditions that made David’s exile feel painfully real.
What was filmed here:
- Rugged hills: David’s exile refuge as a shepherd
- Untamed landscapes: Wilderness pursuit sequences with hiding places
🌊 Nafplio, Peloponnese, Greece
Ask any Greek which city is most romantic, and Nafplio tops the list. The Old Town is a living museum of architectural layers: Venetian balconies, Ottoman fountains, neoclassical mansions, and Byzantine churches all crammed into winding alleys that lead to a seaside promenade.
Above it all looms the Palamidi Fortress, accessible via 999 punishing steps (or a sane person’s drive). The harbor bounces with fishing boats and cafés. This was Greece‘s first capital after independence from the Ottoman Empire, and it wears its history like a well-tailored coat.
The House of David production team used Nafplio‘s versatile historical character to represent various city and port-side scenes throughout ancient Israel. Unlike purpose-built sets, Nafplio’s Old Town has an organic, lived-in texture that no backlot can fake.
What was filmed here:
- Nafplio city & port: Historic harbor as ancient waterfront
- Nafplio’s Old Town: Marketplace & urban backgrounds
🍁 CL Western Town & Backlot, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Wait, Canada? Yes. While Greece provided the rugged Mediterranean soul of the House of David series, the production also traveled to Calgary, Alberta, for open plains, flexible backlot spaces, and a working ranch environment.
Ancient Israel wasn’t all coastlines and limestone peaks – it also included rural flatlands, agricultural zones, and towns needing a different visual palette.
The CL Western Town and Backlot, normally home to cowboy epics, was adapted into ancient marketplaces and rural villages, trading olive groves for wide-open sky.
The result was a series that visually spans from Epirus‘s jaw-dropping cliffs to Calgary‘s humble plains.
What was filmed here:
- CL Western Town: Market town exteriors
- Canadian backlot: Ancient marketplaces and biblical commerce hubs
- Open plains: Rural village scenes in agricultural Israel
🎬 Studio Locations – Spata (Kappa Studios) & Paiania
Sometimes you need controlled chaos. Greece‘s outdoor locations gave epic scale, but royal intrigue required studios. Kappa Studios in Spata became King Saul’s palace – throne rooms built to capture a king losing his grip.
Markopoulo‘s rolling countryside served as David’s gentle shepherd pastures – far from Epirus‘s cliffs, where a boy and his sheep could simply exist.
For Season 2, Paiania constructed an entire biblical village from real wood, stone, and plaster.
What was filmed here:
- Kappa Studios in Spata: King Saul’s royal chambers & throne room
- Paiania: Fully-constructed Biblical village set in Season 2
- Markopoulo countryside: David’s shepherd pastures & grazing lands
🚗 3-Day Peloponnese Itinerary in David’s Footsteps
Grab a rental car or book a guided tour and chase real earth, stone, and epic views.
Day 1: Athens → Acrocorinth → Nafplio
- Walk Acrocorinth‘s triple gates where Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans stood guard.
- Book a Nafplio Food Tour.
- Explore Nafplio’s Venetian Old Town and harbor, used for the show’s urban scenes.
- Sunset from Palamidi Fortress (or drive if the 999 steps sound cruel).
- Book a Dance Class and Dinner.
Day 2: Nafplio → Ancient Messene → Kalamata
- Drive south toward Messenia through olive groves that have produced oil for millennia.
- Spend hours at Ancient Messene – walk the intact stadium, see the theater’s unique moving stage, and trace the 9 km fortification wall.
- Overnight in Kalamata; dine at O Thiasos for local olives and cured meats.
Day 3: Messenia → Monemvasia
- Drive to Monemvasia – the Gibraltar of the East – a medieval castle town carved entirely into a sea rock.
- Walk cobblestone paths through the Lower Town; the stone-heavy aesthetic matches the “real earth and stone” requirement the producers sought.
- Seafood dinner overlooking the Aegean.
Travel Tips:
- Best time to go: Late spring (May-June) or early autumn (Sept-Oct).
- Where to stay: Stone guesthouse in Papigo (mountain scenery) or boutique hotel in Nafplio’s Old Town (gulf views).
- Where to eat: O Kipos or Pidalio Restaurant in Nafplio for Mediterranean seafood; mountain taverns in Epirus for handmade pies and wild greens.
- Gear to carry: Sturdy walking shoes and plenty of water – Peloponnesian sun is intense even in shoulder seasons.
Book Guided Tours:
- Ancient Corinth & Nafplion One-Day Tour from Athens
- Monemvasia & Ancient Corinth 2-day Private Overnight Tour
- 2-Day Tour of Ancient Messene and Olympia
❓ House of David FAQ
Everything you actually want to know – no stone unturned, no sheep joke missed.
Did Michael Iskander really play the harp and sing?
Yes – he performs his own singing and harp playing in the show. No stunt fingers, no dubbed vocals. The guy actually learned.
Will there be a House of David season 3?
Not officially announced yet – fans need to wait on Amazon’s renewal decision.
Who’s in the cast of House of David?
- Michael Iskander (David)
- Ali Suliman (King Saul)
- Stephen Lang (Samuel)
- Martyn Ford (Goliath)
How does House of David compare to other biblical epics?
Director Jon Erwin prioritized “real dirt, earth, and trees” over “Hollywood plastic.” The result is grittier, more tactile – and yes, the sheep-chaos is authentic.
📺 Where to Watch House of David
Stone, sling, and streaming – David’s journey is currently exclusive to Amazon Prime Video. The series is produced exclusively for their platform.
And that’s how a shepherd boy, a 6’8″ giant, and a flock of runaway sheep found ancient Israel in the hills of Greece and the plains of Canada – no green screens, just real dirt, real stones, and real chaos.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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