Hezekiah's Tunnel

2/3 continued

where the entrance was the Hezekiah's Tunnel

We got to go through HEZEKIAH'S TUNNEL!!!! It was absolutely incredible! It was all rock (of course) and it started when your foot landed right by the Gihon Spring (Israel's source of water). Hezekiah built the tunnel to send the water directly into the city to the pools of Siloam. The walls were rock and you could see the chisel marks, feel them, touch the cold hard bumpy stone where these men, who had feelings just like me and you, who were human, chiseled this tunnel. It was probably 3-4ft wide and I could stand up for most of it but there were parts i had to duck. The water came up to about my knees and boy it was super cold at first! It was so exciting for me! I really had a hay day :)

walking out of Hezekiah's Tunnel

Then we ended up in the Pool of Siloam where we got pictures and headed to a possible place of David's tomb.

If you want to see more of Dani's amazing pictures go to Dani Mcnally

This was on the East being excavated. It was a pretty place right on the edge of the Kidron Valley. Here we could see the city where Absolom had a party proclaiming he was to be king but as the wind moves through the valley you can hear everything and so David could hear it. Then, Solomon was crowned King and this time Absolom could hear it and he called off the party.

What a gem!

us just being ourselves :)

Wow Lord! I praise you for the amazing opportunity! 

random pictures throughout the day 

Briana Cowan

2/5/13

The Land and the Bible

Professor Schlegel

1^st Temple Period; Warren’s Shaft

            Next, we had the privilege of walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel. Hezekiah needed protection for the Gihon Spring otherwise their enemies would take over and the Israelites would die of thirst. It is very likely that there was a second wall built surrounding the Gihon Spring that attached back onto the Jerusalem wall. Hezekiah then built a tunnel that would send the water from the Gihon Spring down to the Pool of Siloam so that they did not have to always walk to the Spring. He had to do this very carefully with a downward slope so that the water would flow our to the pool.

             Lastly we went to the best possible place of David’s actual tomb. We know that David was buried within the city as written in 1 Kings 2. The people knew where he was buried because in Acts 2:29 it says, “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.” They knew where the tomb was. From the place associated with the tomb of David you could see both where the party of Adonijah was who was declaring himself as King but the people could hear it and David was notified. Then, Solomon was crowned king and it was within distance, in the valley that Adonijah and his men heard the proclamation.