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Pool Of Siloam
Prior to 2004, it was thought that the Pool of Siloam was at the exit of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, which is pictured above and also below, on the left (for mobile phone user, the picture is above and the first picture below). In 2004, when repairs were being done in a parking lot, some stairs were uncovered. These stairs were very wide and reminded the archaeologist of the stairs that go up to the Temple Mount, near Robinson’s Arch. These seemed to go down into what might be a pool, a much larger pool than the one they first thought to be the Pool of Siloam. The newly discovered pool is less than 0.12 mile from another Pool of Siloam. They expanded their search area and discovered a wide staircase going from the pool area up through the City of David and up to Robinson’s Arch and the Temple Mount.
In 2004, an archaeologist excavated and identified the correct location of the Pool of Siloam which is pictured on the right below (or the second picture from the mobile phone user). Its location now belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church.
The original Pool of Siloam was built in the 8th century BCE by King Hezekiah. To cut off the water supply of Gihon Spring because of the coming Assyrians’ attack, King Hezekiah ordered workers to build a 1,750-foot-long tunnel – the Hezekiah’s Tunnel. The tunnel connected Gihon Spring in the adjacent Kidron Valley to the southern of the City of David.
The original Pool of Siloam in Hezekiah’s time presumably was destroyed in 586 B.C. when the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city. Then, the pool of Siloam in Jesus’ time was built early in the first century B.C. and was destroyed by the Roman emperor Titus about A.D. 70.
Byzantine Time
The real Pool of Shelah/siloam
In 2004, an archaeologist found the correct site of the Pool of Shelah/Siloam. This is at the exit of Canaanite Tunnel (the dry route).
According to the Biblical Archaeology Review on 8/31/2021, the pool is fed by waters from the Gihon Spring, located in the Kidron Valley. The purposes of this pool might be for ritual bathing or water source of inhabitants or might be it was a Roman-style swimming pool.
*Photo was contributed by Dr. Rasmussen.
Northern View Of the Pool Of Siloam
A supernatural occurrence was recorded here in the 1st century CE. There was a man, blind from birth who was healed by a miracle. See box on the right (or picture below for the mobile phone user).
*Photo was contributed by Dr. Rasmussen.
Northern View of the Pool of Siloam
the pilgrimage road in Ancient times
It is great news that the Pilgrimage Road has been opened recently to the public! King Herod built streets from local stones and some of them led to the Temple. The Pilgrimage Road connected the Pool of Siloam to the south side of the Temple. It gets its name from the many pilgrims who have walked along this street during the three major Jewish Holidays.
Inside View of the Pilgrimage Road
This stone street is approximately 350 meters long, and it was wide enough for tens of thousands of pilgrims who came to Jerusalem during the Jewish festivals. You can click the link below to see the live tour.
Exit of the Drainage Channel underneath the Pilgrimage road
Map
This drawing helps you to see how the Pilgrimage Road went from the Pool of Siloam all the way up to Robinson’s Arch (white dotted line). And the Arch had steps that went up onto the Temple Mount. So a pilgrim could wash in the pool and go directly to the Temple on the Mount. Take note that this drawing has the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Mount, although they were not built until 691 CE, long after the 2nd temple was destroyed and the Pilgrimage Road was covered up in 70 CE.