The historic Pool of Siloam, located in Jerusalem, is going to be extensively excavated. It dates back to the period of King Hezekiah (8th century BC) and its construction is mentioned in 2 Kings 20:20. It is also mentioned in John 9:7 which describes how a blind man was healed by Jesus after being instructed to wash in the waters of the Pool of Siloam. The pool received water from Kidron Valley’s Gihon Spring and it is believed that it has been used as a ritual bath or ‘mikveh’ by innumerable pilgrims. The excavation will take place through a collaboration between the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), the City of David Foundation and the Israel National Parks Authority.
Christian Today reports:
A major excavation is to be undertaken at the historic Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem.
The pool dates back 2,700 years to the reign of King Hezekiah in the 8th century BC, when it was built as part of Jerusalem’s water system.
Its construction is recorded in 2 Kings 20:20, which reads, “Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the Pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of Chronicles of the kings of Judah?”
It is mentioned again in John 9:7 when Jesus heals the blind man by instructing him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. When the man returns, he can see.
The pool was fed by waters from the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley and is believed to have been used as a ‘mikveh’ or ritual bath by millions of pilgrims before their ascension through the City of David to the Temple.
At the height of its use, it is believed to have measured up to 1.25 acres and been inlaid with impressive flagstones.
The excavation is being made possible by a partnership between the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), the Israel National Parks Authority, and the City of David Foundation.
Read the full article here
Photo by Ian Scott
About Post Author
