Archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered a huge wall that served as part of the Pool of Siloam. The pool is mentioned in John 9 when Jesus heals a blind man on the Sabbath. The wall is 39 feet tall, dating to about 2,800 years ago. It appears to have been used as part of a hydraulic system that channeled water from the Gihon Spring into the pool. Itamar Berko, one of the site directors, remarked on the wall’s impressive size. “This is the largest dam ever discovered in Israel and the earliest one ever found in Jerusalem. Its dimensions are remarkable: about 12 meters high, over 8 meters wide, and the uncovered length reaches 21 meters – continuing beyond the limits of the current excavation.” He stated that twigs and branches embedded in the construction mortar enabled archaeologists to more accurately date the wall.

“The dam was designed to collect waters from the Gihon Spring as well as floodwaters flowing down the main valley of ancient Jerusalem (the historical Tyropoeon Valley) to the Kidron Stream, providing a dual solution for both water shortages and flash floods,” said Berko.

“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,” said Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

“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.”

Danny “the Digger” Herman, spoke about the difficulties that the excavation faced. “And for many years, the Israeli Antiquities Authority were trying to get a permit to dig the rest of it, but it was Greek Orthodox property. Making a long story short, they managed to buy the property. The Greek church tried to oppose that, to deny the fact that they sold it. But after it was proven in the Israeli court, they finally started digging up the rest of the pool, expecting to find more wide flight of steps. And lo and behold, instead of that, all they found is a big hole. Like someone carried away the rest of the stairs or whatever happened there. And then at the southern end, they found a big dam,” he said. He also discussed how this latest discovery confirms King Hezekiah’s involvement in the pool’s construction. “So in archaeology, we rarely have a clear, perfect answer to any question, but the circumstantial evidence is quite clear,” he said. “Almost all scholars agree that that was a project made by Hezekiah, and now we have a better understanding that he was using an infrastructure set up by King Joash nearly 200 years earlier.”