"When he (JESUS) had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing" (John 9:6-7).
For some 1600 years, people believed that 'the Upper Pool' or 'the Byzantine Pool', where the Hezekiah Tunnel opened its mouth was the traditional 'Pool of Siloam', until the actual first century (BC) 'Pool of Siloam' (Lower Pool) was discovered accidentally in 2004. Strange enough, the real 'Pool of Siloam' is identified just 50 m near the traditional pool. The new pool is most probably Herodian in origin (1st Cent BC).
It all happened on the summer of 2004, when workers repairing a drainage pipe near the traditional Siloam Pool reported some large stone steps. Archaeologists Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron soon began to excavate the area and realized that the steps were much ancient and belonged to a 1st Century pool-much larger and monumental than the traditional pool. Altogether, 15 steps (3 sets of 5 each) have been discovered. Biblical-era coins with ancient Jewish writing, pottery shards and a stone bottle cork from the same age (1st Cent BC) were found near the new Siloam Pool, substantiating its genuineness.
Interestingly, a channel from the traditional pool (the upper pool) connecting this later pool is also discovered. Why a second pool was needed when the original pool was so near, is yet to fetch an answer. However, much of the original pool is still under the thick green covering of a garden owned by Greek Orthodox Church. Negotiations with the Church to excavate the area are going on and probably an agreement will reach soon.
For some 1600 years, people believed that 'the Upper Pool' or 'the Byzantine Pool', where the Hezekiah Tunnel opened its mouth was the traditional 'Pool of Siloam', until the actual first century (BC) 'Pool of Siloam' (Lower Pool) was discovered accidentally in 2004. Strange enough, the real 'Pool of Siloam' is identified just 50 m near the traditional pool. The new pool is most probably Herodian in origin (1st Cent BC).
It all happened on the summer of 2004, when workers repairing a drainage pipe near the traditional Siloam Pool reported some large stone steps. Archaeologists Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron soon began to excavate the area and realized that the steps were much ancient and belonged to a 1st Century pool-much larger and monumental than the traditional pool. Altogether, 15 steps (3 sets of 5 each) have been discovered. Biblical-era coins with ancient Jewish writing, pottery shards and a stone bottle cork from the same age (1st Cent BC) were found near the new Siloam Pool, substantiating its genuineness.
Interestingly, a channel from the traditional pool (the upper pool) connecting this later pool is also discovered. Why a second pool was needed when the original pool was so near, is yet to fetch an answer. However, much of the original pool is still under the thick green covering of a garden owned by Greek Orthodox Church. Negotiations with the Church to excavate the area are going on and probably an agreement will reach soon.
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