Archaeologists at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and other archaeological entities have announced that a dig site, attributed as being the site of the Pool of Siloam mentioned in John 9, will be opened to the public in the near future. In speaking to Fox News Digital about the significance of the site, Pastor John Hagee of Christians United for Israel said, “It was at this site that Jesus healed the blind man (John 9), and it is at this site that, 2,000 years ago, Jewish pilgrims cleansed themselves prior to entering the Second Temple. The Pool of Siloam and the Pilgrimage Road, both located within the City of David, are among the most inspiring archeological affirmations of the Bible. Christians are deeply blessed by the City of David’s work and Israel’s enduring commitment to ensuring religious freedom to all who visit and live in the Holy Land, especially Jerusalem — the undivided capital of Israel.”

The pool was initially discovered in 2005 by workers repairing a sewage pipe in the Old City of Jerusalem. Prior to the discovery, some scholars had asserted that the pool was not a real place. “Scholars have said that there wasn’t a Pool of Siloam and that John was using a religious conceit,” said New Testament scholar James H. Charlesworth at the time of the discovery. “Now we have found the Pool of Siloam … exactly where John said it was.” According to the account in John 9, Jesus visited the pool with his disciples, where they saw a man blind from birth. After assuring his disciples that neither the man nor his parents had sinned to cause the man’s blindness, he healed the man’s blindness by rubbing mud on his eyes. 

A section of the pool has been open to the public for several years, and the hope is to have the full site accessible piece by piece or within a few years when the entire excavation is complete. Ze’ev Orenstein, director of international affairs at the City of David Foundation, stated that the site is an affirmation of Israel’s history. “Despite ongoing efforts at the United Nations and Palestinian leadership to erase Jerusalem’s heritage, in a few years, the millions of people visiting the City of David annually will literally be able to walk in the footsteps of the Bible, connecting with the roots of their heritage and identity,” he said. Reverend Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian leaders, agreed with the sentiment saying, “In the Pool of Siloam, we find evidence of history preserved for us, revealed at just the right time. This is a truly historic event. Theologically, it affirms Scripture. Geographically, it affirms history, and politically it affirms Israel’s unquestionable and unrivaled link to Jerusalem. Some discoveries are theoretical. This one is an undeniable. It is proof of the story of the Bible and of its people, Israel.”