Page 14 - Holyland Magazine - 2019 Edition
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A mikveh - a Jewish ritual immersion bath
The Herodian pool at the Tower of David castle moat
(a festival held during the intermediate days The pool was also large in size (the length The Connection Between the
of Sukkoth), is the pool in which Jesus of the eastern side that was exposed, in its Siloam Pool and Herod’s Palace
miraculously healed the blind man (John entirety, amounts to 70 meters). The pool is
9:1-7). comprised of staircases and it is reasonable If we compare the construction and quarrying
to assume that the stone steps surrounded of the Siloam Pool with the pool of Herod’s
During the replacement of a central sewage the pool from all sides, however, most of the palace, we discover a similar architectural
pipe conducted on the eastern valley edge pool was not excavated. Since the channel design and dimensions and that where most
of Jerusalem in the summer of 2004 - due passes over the highest step, it would have likely constructed by the same architect.
to the explosion and collapse of the central been possible to fill the entire pool and flood It would be reasonable to conclude that
sewage line of East Jerusalem, - archeologist all the stairs. Herod, who saw fit to renovate and embellish
Dr. Eli Shukron uncovered several stone the structures built by previous rulers (the
steps. As a result, a salvage excavation was The Hafir (moat) of the Tower of Temple, the Hasmonean fortresses, the
conducted on behalf of the Israel Antiquities David and Herod’s Palace aqueducts leading to Jerusalem), chose the
Authority. At the excavation, the northeastern same architectural design for the renovation
side of a large terraced pool was found, as During King Herod’s reign, a large palace of the Siloam Pool, which is of utmost
well as its southern and northeastern corners was built, the remains of which are scattered religious importance. Perhaps in doing so,
uncovered. What’s more, coins extracted all over the Tower of David, parts of the Herod tried to manifest a sense of closeness
from the cement between the stones were Armenian Quarter and the Jewish Quarter. to the holy sites of Judaism and exude local
all from the 1st century CE. Herod’s palace was most probably the patriotism.
largest building in Jerusalem after the
Based on this evidence, it can be deduced Temple during that time. Today, one of the In other words, we have two archaeological
that the terraced pool was constructed most accessible regions to the public is the sites of great importance, both of which date
sometime during the Second Temple period. pool area at the palace, currently in the moat to the days of Jesus Christ. Moreover, as
It is impossible to determine whether the of the Tower of David. these two sites were no longer in use after
construction occurred at the end of the the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, it can
Hasmonean era or at the beginning of the An examination of the building, based on be concluded that Jesus was in fact present
Reign of King Herod. It became clear that assessments of similar Roman palaces of at both locations. This is a tremendous
the water channel, in which the spring the same period throughout the empire, assumption as it increases the validity of
water flows after exiting the Siloam Tunnel, indicates that in the middle, pools were these sites and the rare affirmation of the
is the same channel that filled the terraced carved for decorative purposes, and today, physical presence of Jesus in any particular
pool. It seems it was entirely trapezoidal in visitors can view one of the pools at the site in Israel.
shape (narrower in the north and expanding eastern side.
outward with the valley to the south). The author is the CEO and co-founder of The Bible
Comes to Life www.tbctl.com
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