- Feb 5, 2002
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Discovery reshapes understandings of ancient Jerusalem
The 2,800-year-old dam wall discovered in the City of David, from the time of the biblical Kings. Courtesy Emil Aladjem, IAA.
Archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered the largest dam ever constructed in ancient Israel. Dated to the reigns of kings Joash and Amaziah of Judah (late ninth century BCE), the dam would have drastically reshaped the city’s water system and topography, creating what is today known as the Pool of Siloam. But how exactly does this dam relate to other parts of the city’s ancient water system, and how much does it change the way we think about the development of biblical Jerusalem?
Continued below.
www.biblicalarchaeology.org
The 2,800-year-old dam wall discovered in the City of David, from the time of the biblical Kings. Courtesy Emil Aladjem, IAA.
Archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered the largest dam ever constructed in ancient Israel. Dated to the reigns of kings Joash and Amaziah of Judah (late ninth century BCE), the dam would have drastically reshaped the city’s water system and topography, creating what is today known as the Pool of Siloam. But how exactly does this dam relate to other parts of the city’s ancient water system, and how much does it change the way we think about the development of biblical Jerusalem?
Damming the Flood Waters
Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority uncovered the dam during their excavation work at the proposed site of the Siloam Pool in the City of David Archaeological Park. “This is the largest dam ever discovered in Israel and the earliest one ever found in Jerusalem,” said excavation directors Nahshon Szanton, Itamar Berko, and Filip Vukosavović in a press release. “Its dimensions are remarkable: about 40 feet high, over 26 feet wide, and the uncovered length reaches 69 feet—continuing beyond the limits of the current excavation.”Continued below.
Monumental Dam from Time of Biblical Kings Uncovered
Archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered the largest dam ever constructed in ancient Israel. Dated to the reigns of kings Joash and Amaziah
