City of David Water Projects

In one of my previous posts I discussed the initial archaeological excavations by the British Captain Charles Warren.

In today’s post we will discuss & visit the Water Projects of Jerusalem across multiple periods.

Warren’s Shaft – 150 years ago, Captain Charles Warren, by the order of Queen Victoria, came to Jerusalem to try and find the lost city. He dug in a few places, one of them, in what we know today as the City of David, and he found a tunnel that led him to a shaft. Looking down through the shaft, he could see water and he believed that’s how the people of Jerusalem used to bring water into the city – throw a bucket tied to a rope down to the water, and pull up water into the city.

After the 6-Day War (1967), the Israel Archaeological Authority (IAA) continued to dig around Warren’s Shaft. It was then determined that the shaft was not used to pull up the water, but that in all likelihood it was a way for King David’s soldiers to enter and capture the city.

At the time of King David, the Gihon Sprint was fortified by surrounding walls in order to guard the water, which was outside of the city walls.

When the Assyrians put a siege on Jerusalem (2,700 years ago), King Hezekiah understood that he could not leave the Gihon Spring unprotected outside of the city walls. So, he dug a tunnel, 530 meters long, from the Spring into the city and redirected the water into the Siloam Pool. That’s how he survived the siege of the Assyrians.

Remember that the Gihon Spring was also important because most of the Kings of Judea were anointed there.

Enjoy the video.

I’d like to thank the Jerusalem Watch and AnaRina for this video.