The Byzantine pool long shown to pilgrims as Siloam never quite matched John's story. Then a burst sewer pipe in 2004 forced repairs a little downhill, and the repair crew's backhoe struck monumental steps. Excavation revealed the true pool of Jesus' day: a grand public bathing and purification pool, tiers of stone steps descending on at least three sides, coins in the plaster fixing its period. The blind man of John 9 was sent to a real and imposing address.
- What it is
- A broad stepped pool at the southern tip of the City of David, fed from the Gihon spring
- Date of artifact
- 1st century BC – AD 70
- Discovered
- City of David, Jerusalem, exposed during sewer repairs, 2004 (Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron)
- Where it is now
- In situ, Jerusalem (excavation ongoing)
- Related to
- The pool where Jesus sent the man born blind to wash
- Scripture
- John 9:1–11
What this find showsThe Gospel's setting is precise: this pool stood, in this form, exactly when John's narrative requires it.
What it does not proveAs with Bethesda, the site confirms the stage, not the healing performed on it.
Sources & further reading