Archaeology

Siloam Inscription & Hezekiah's Tunnel

Era: c. 701 BC
Location: City of David, Jerusalem
Discovered: tunnel: ancient; inscription: 1880

An 8th-century BC Hebrew inscription found inside the rock-cut water tunnel that brought water from the Gihon Spring into Jerusalem — dug in preparation for Sennacherib's coming siege.

The find

Hezekiah's Tunnel is a 533-meter water conduit cut through solid rock beneath the City of David. The Siloam Inscription, discovered in 1880, was carved by the workers describing the dramatic moment two teams digging from opposite ends met in the middle. The Hebrew script and engineering match the late 8th century BC.

Why it matters

It confirms the biblical note that Hezekiah "made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city" (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30) precisely in preparation for the Assyrian threat.

Cross-linked Scripture

Doctrine check

Sources

·Reich, R. (2011). Excavating the City of David. Israel Exploration Society
·Frumkin, A., Shimron, A. & Rosenbaum, J. (2003). Radiometric dating of the Siloam Tunnel, Jerusalem. Nature 425
·Siloam Inscription (Wikipedia)
·BAR: Hezekiah's Tunnel Reexamined