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Ronny Reich

Abstract

The Southeastern Hill of Jerusalem, identified with biblical City of David, has undergone excavations since 1867 until today. One of the first discoveries, which turned out to be also the largest and most impressive, are the rock-cut water systems, intended to guarantee a constant supply of water to the city from the Giḥon spring. These include the Siloam Tunnel, which was known throughout ancient times, and Warren’s Shaft system, which was discovered in 1867. A few years later, in 1880, the Siloam Inscription was discovered on the rock wall of the tunnel. Written in ancient Hebrew script, and dated to the eighth century BCE, it is still the longest and most detailed inscription from this period found in Jerusalem. Following these discoveries, scholars labored at understanding the construction methods and operation of these water systems. The excavations presented in this paper were conducted by the author near the spring in 1995–2010, revealing additional parts of these water systems and their fortifications. These discoveries are discussed following a reexamination of all available data on the water systems of ancient Jerusalem, spanning Middle Bronze Age II (1800–1770 BCE) and Iron Age II (eighth–seventh centuries BCE).

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