Archaeology
Pool of Siloam
- Era
- 1st century AD
- Location
- City of David, Jerusalem
- Discovered
- 2004
The actual Second Temple-period stepped pool where Jesus told a man born blind to go and wash and receive his sight (John 9). For a long time it was thought to be legendary — until it was uncovered, quite by accident, in 2004.
The find
During sewer repairs in 2004, workers exposed stone steps that excavation by Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron revealed to be a monumental first-century pool — trapezoidal, fed by Hezekiah's Tunnel, and surrounded by steps for ritual immersion. Coins and pottery date its use to the time of Jesus.
Why it matters
It confirms a specific Gospel location whose very existence had been questioned. The site matches John's description in careful detail, and it lines up with the rabbinic accounts of Second Temple Jerusalem as well.
Cross-linked Scripture
Doctrine check
Sources
- ·Reich, R. & Shukron, E. (2011). The Pool of Siloam in the Second Temple Period. Biblical Archaeology Review
- ·Pool of Siloam (Wikipedia)
See also
Image: City of David, Jerusalem · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
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