A huge ancient structure has been discovered in Jerusalem – and archaeologists believe it could be the place where Jesus healed a blind man in the Bible.
The gospels describe how Christ restored sight to a beggar after sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, in Jerusalem.
Now a monumental dam marking the former location of the pool has been found by archaeologists in the ancient heart of the city.
And the structure may have been built by Jesus’ ancestors, dating back 2,800 years to the reigns of his forebears, kings Joash and Amaziah of Judah.
Excavation director Itamar Berko, of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said the discovery provided a ‘tangible’ link to the place described in scripture.
He said: ‘If until today we could only read in the Biblical text about the existence of the Pool of Siloam, now we can see its tangible remnants and its beginning from 2,800 years ago.
‘Behind us is a monumental dam wall, enormous in size, over 11 metres high, dated to 2,800 years ago during the First Temple Period, in the time of Kings Joash and Amaziah.’
He added: ‘Thanks to highly precise scientific dating, this is the first time it is possible to point with certainty to a structure that formed the basis for the construction of the Siloam Pool, which until now we knew only from the Bible and historical sources.’
A huge ancient structure has been discovered in Jerusalem – and archaeologists believe it could be the place where Jesus healed a blind man in the Bible
A monumental dam marking the former location of the pool has been found by archaeologists in the ancient heart of the city
The gospels describe how Christ restored sight to a beggar after sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, in Jerusalem. Pictured: 1871 depiction by Danish painter, Carl Bloch
Berko and his co–directors Nahshon Szanton and Filip Vukosavović described the wall’s dimensions as ‘remarkable’.
As well as being 12 metres high, it’s over eight metres wide, and at least 21 metres in length – stretching beyond the limits of the current excavation.
Without it, there would have been no Pool of Siloam.
Dr Szanton said: ‘It is the lowest point in ancient Jerusalem.
‘All the water, all the runoff from the rain that falls essentially flows here to this central large drainage basin of the city.
‘If it wasn’t for this dam wall, the water flowing in this channel would simply flow into the Kidron Valley straight to the Dead Sea.’
The wall’s unusual construction meant it could be dated to a very small window of time, according to Johanna Regev and Elisabetta Boaretto of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
And the abnormally–low rainfall during this time suggests that the pool was constructed in response to climate change.
The wall’s unusual construction meant it could be dated to a very small window of time, according to Johanna Regev and Elisabetta Boaretto of the Weizmann Institute of Science
Berko and his co–directors Nahshon Szanton and Filip Vukosavović described the wall’s dimensions as ‘remarkable’
The miracle in which Jesus restores sight to a blind man is described in the Gospel of John. Pictured: a computer-generated depiction of the Pool of Siloam
The duo said: ‘Short–lived twigs and branches embedded in the dam’s construction mortar provided a clear date at the end of the 9th century BC, with extraordinary resolution of only about 10 years – a rare achievement when dating ancient finds.
‘To complete the climatic reconstruction, we integrated this dating with existing climate data.
‘All the data pointed to a period of low rainfall, interspersed with short and intense storms that could cause flooding.
‘It follows that the establishment of such large–scale water systems was a direct response to climate change and arid conditions that included flash floods.’
The miracle in which Jesus restores sight to a blind man is described in the Gospel of John.
According to scripture, Christ spat on the ground, and anointed the man’s eyes with the resulting mix of saliva and dirt, before sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.
‘So the man went and washed, and came home seeing,’ the Bible states.
The blind beggar is then quoted as saying: ‘The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes.
‘He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.’
IAA director Eli Escusido said the dam was ‘awe–inspiring’.
He said: ‘This is one of the most impressive and significant First Temple–period remains in Jerusalem, and has been preserved to an extraordinary degree.
‘The revealed dam is awe–inspiring and opens new avenues of research.
‘The discovery of the dam and the Siloam Pool in the City of David is the result of perseverance, professionalism, and archaeological determination.
‘In recent years, Jerusalem has been revealed more than ever before, with all its periods, layers, and cultures – and many surprises still await us.’
