ISRAEL PHOTOS III  -- A COLLECTION OF PHOTOS FROM ISRAEL 

WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SCENES AND SITES PERTINENT TO THE STUDY OF CHRISTIANITY

THE POOL OF SILOAM AT JERUSALEM


The Pool of Siloam (Sept. 2003)

According to the apostle John, Jesus sent a blind man to the pool of Siloam with instructions to wash his eyes with water. Upon completing Jesus' instructions the man was healed. In the book of 2 Kings 20 Hezekiah King of Judah was credited with building a tunnel from the Gihon spring near a fortification wall of the city to within the city. Siloam is near the intersection of the Kidron, Hinom, and Tyropean Valleys at the southern and lower end of the City of David along the Ophel Ridge.

There was also a lower pool below the Byzantine Siloam that was used during Roman times. During 2005 a construction crew was repairing a drain line in this area and uncovered some stone steps. Since then part of the pool has been revealed at the north end of a sunken garden. Years ago I had seen one archaeologist described this area as the "lower pool", but had not called it the pool of Siloam mentioned in the Bible. Now it is believed to be the Roman era Pool of Siloam.


Roman era Pool of Siloam north steps, January 20, 2006


Roman era Pool of Siloam excavation looking towards Silwan in the east, January 20, 2006

John 9:1 (WEB) As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.

World English Bible (WEB)


January 2006 Location of Siloam

According to Josephus the first century Roman wall of Jerusalem turned from N-S to E-W above Siloam. Siloam was in the photo below the blue arrow. The Roman wall turned close to the pool. This area was relatively flat and the towers and wall in this area were probably about 35 feet high as Josephus explained the old wall had 60 towers 20 cubits high along the 20 cubit high wall; with turrets and battlements the entire height was recorded as 25 cubits (Josephus War Book V Chapter IV).

Parable of the Mustard Seed
     A Mustard Field Along Highway 87-North Shore of Galilee
     Mustard Seeds in the Palm of a Hand
     Mustard Flowers
     Giant Mustard
     Upper Most Seats of the Synagogue
The Fig Tree
     Mt of Olives Fig Tree, April 12-13, 2005
     Fig and Pomegranite Trees Below Siloam in Jerusalem
     Sycomore Fig Tree
The Good Shepherd
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
     Goat Herder
Camels
Ritual Cleansing
Shechem
     The Olive Harvest of Samaria
     Mt. Ebal
     Olive Tree
Pearl of Great Price
A First Century Synagogue at Gamala
     Overview of Gamala
Modern Galilee Fishing Boats
Kursi
     Caves and/or Tombs
     Steep Slope Near Kursi
Hippos
Feeding the 5,000
     On the Mountain
     Walking on Water
     Ramot-Tzelon area
Mt. Hermon
The Pools of Bethesda in Jerusalem
     Healing Pools
     Crusader Chapel and St. Ann Church
Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem
     Hezekiah's Tunnel
     Overlook to Siloam
Tower of Siloam
A Watch Tower in a Vineyard/Olive Grove
     Grape Vines at Beth Horan
     Towers
Mt. Precipice
     South Face
     Summit
     Over the edge
     Measuring Line
     View of Nazareth from near Megiddo
Nazareth
     The Basilica of the Annunciation
Capernaum
Healing a Paralytic in Capernaum
Bethsaida
Waterskins and Wineskins
The Fish and the Coin
     Barbel
A Denarius
Casting Out a Demon
The Road to Jericho
     Old Roman Road
     Wilderness Above Jericho
     Old Jericho
Western Wall
Gethsemane and the Cave of Gethsemane
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Rolling Stone Tombs - Jerusalem
    Other Rolling Stone Tombs
Tiberias
Solar Power in Israel
Salt of the earth
Chorazin

Home Page

OTHER WEB SITES BY DAVID HALL:

Israel Photos VI
Israel Photos V -- Spring 2011
Israel Photos IV -- Pilgrimage

DQHALL.COM