(Israel-©-MEA-20171108-(C97)-Historical-Landmarks-Pool-of-Siloam
Historical Landmarks –Pool of Siloam (Jerusalem)
The pool of Siloam is a pool cut from rock on the southern slope of the City of David, located just outside the walls of Jerusalem. During his reign around 700 BC, King Hezekiah constructed this 500 meter-long tunnel to bring fresh spring-water into Jerusalem. The Pool of Siloam was the only continuous source of water in Jerusalem and consequently, were heavily guarded by a strong gate and soldiers.
In the First Century BC, Temple Priests brought water up from the Pool of Siloam for the Water Libation Ceremony, a most popular and joyous celebration during the Feast of Tabernacles. Levites played lyres, trumpets, harps, cymbals, other instruments, and also sang praises to God for His provision during this third harvest feast. The Pool of Siloam was discovered again in 2004 and three years later, archaeologists found the actual ‘ascent’ stairs which the priests used to carry the water up to the Temple for the Water Libation Ceremony, showing us the precise location of the Second Temple on the Temple mount. The Pool of Siloam is mentioned a few times in the Bible. For example:
Nehemiah 3:15 (CJB) “Shalun the son of Kol-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mitzpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it, covered it and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars; he also rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Shelach [Siloam], by the royal garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David.”
Isaiah 8:6 (CJB) “Since this people has rejected the gently flowing waters from Shilo’ach [Siloam]…”
John 9:6-7 (CJB) says, “Having said this, he [Yeshua] spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, put the mud on the man’s eyes, and said to him, ‘Go, wash off in the Pool of Shiloach [Siloam]! So he went and washed and came away seeing.’” (‘Shiloach’ in Hebrew means ‘sent’, and the same Hebrew consonants also mean Messiah, that is ‘sent one’.)
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