Daily Devotion for July 8, 2006

Day 13

 

Pool of Siloam and Hezekiah’s Tunnel

 

"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.  John 9:7

 

Even by modern standards this tunnel, due south of the Old City, must be considered a major feat of engineering.  King Hezekiah (727-698 BC) had it cut through the rock to prevent Sennacherib, King of Assyria, from gaining control of the water supply when he attacked Jerusalem.  “Why,” they said, “should the kings of Assyria find plenty of water when they arrive?” (2 Chronicles 32:4).

 

The spring of Gihon (“gushing”) had flowed out into the Kidron valley.  Its source was camouflaged and two of Hezekiah’s teams began cutting through the rock.  One cut from the spring, the other from the Pool of Siloam.  The Bible says that Hezekiah “constructed the pool and the conduit to bring water into the city” (2 Kings 20:20).  “It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the Citadel of David” (2 Chronicles 32:30).

 

An inscription in archaic Hebrew script was found inside the tunnel long afterwards.  It recorded the exciting day when Hezekiah’s men broke through.  “…the miners struck, one against the other, pick against pick, and the water flowed from the spring towards the pool, 1200 cubits.  The height of the rock above the head of the miners was 100 cubits.”  The inscription was cut out of the tunnel by the Turks and can now be seen in the Istanbul Museum.

 

It is possible to wade from the spring through this historic tunnel to the Pool of Siloam.  The water rises above the waist and your candle must be held high.  Bits of sharp stone can be a problem for bare feet.  Not a recommend adventure for the hesitant or claustrophobic!

 

But the Pool of Siloam is really famous because of Jesus’ cure there of the man born blind (John 9).  The pool can more easily be reached from the road and down a flight of steps.  Some friendly young Arabs will be there to watch your car, sell you olive-wood items and guide you down to the water level.  Fragments from the colonnade now lie in the water that was long considered to have curative powers.

 

The church built above the pool was destroyed by the Persians in 614.  A mosque was built here in the 1890’s. 

 

Prayer
Lord Jesus, you told the man born blind, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.”  The man went and washed and came home seeing.  We have come here today with our blindness.  Cure us too Lord, for we also want to come home seeing.  Seeing what is really important and good in life.  Seeing more clearly the way we should follow you.  Seeing you.
The man you cured here said, “Lord, I believe.”  And he worshipped you.  May we do the same.  Amen

 

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While in the Middle East for a Biblical Study Journey with fellow Word Among Us Students, a 5-person crew is filming and taking pictures of the various sites. This vibrant photographic material will be incorporated into next year's Word Among Us classes.

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