Exploring Hezekiah's Tunnel
Jerusalem Holy Land Site Offers Proof of Ancient Fable
When visiting Jerusalem, make sure you check out Hezekiah's Tunnel. Besides traveling back into ancient times, you see God's provision for His people 2700 years ago.
When Holy Land tourists walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, an underwater aqueduct, they step back in time about 2700 years.
Early Historical Background
Hezekiah’s Tunnel was dug around 700 B.C, (131 feet beneath the City of David in Jerusalem) during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judea. Built as a safeguard for Jerusalem’s water supply, the 1749-foot long, sloping tunnel winds from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam for about one-third of a mile.
The tunnel was also designed to hide water from the Assyrian army, which was led by Sennacherib in 701 B.C. King Hezekiah cut off water from the Assyrians by sealing off the openings of the Gihon Springs, while carving out a winding tunnel through bedrock. Because of the gravity flow, this forced the Gihon waters into a storage basin, which was later named the Pool of Siloam.
It wasn’t until 1838 that Hezekiah’s Tunnel was discovered by Edward Robinson, an American Biblical archeologist.
Walking Through the Tunnel
Hezekiah’s Tunnel is located outside the Old City walls of Jerusalem, in the City of David. It’s best to get there from the Dung Gate (which is the gate closest to the Western Wall). The walk through the dark tunnel is for tourists who are in good shape and want to journey back into time. Be sure to bring along a flashlight (and spare batteries) to light the way as you walk through knee-deep water.
The Builders’ Carving
Inscribed into the rock wall (near the Pool of Siloam outlet) tourist can find words describing how the tunnel’s builders felt about their work. Discovered in 1880, the Siloam Inscription (now located in the Istanbul Museum) reads….
"... the tunneling through. And this is the account of the tunneling through. While [the workmen raised] the pick each toward his fellow and while there [remained] to be tunneled [through, there was heard] the voice of a man calling to his fellow, for there was a split in the rock on the right hand and on [the left hand]. And on the day of the tunneling through the workmen stuck, each in the direction of his fellow, pick against pick. And the water started flowing from the source to the pool, twelve hundred cubits. And the height of the rock above the head of the workmen was a hundred cubits."
Significance of Hezekiah’s Tunnel
Although the story of Hezekiah’s Tunnel is recorded several times in the Bible (such as in 2 Kings 20), for some people, it was considered just a nice fable with no relevance to their lives. However, when it was discovered in 1838, it proved that the story was real, just as the Dead Sea Scrolls offered proof for skeptics when they were uncovered in Qumran in 1947. After Robinson’s initial discovery, Captain Charles Warren again explored it in 1867. Then, in 1880, a young person playing in the tunnel noted the rock inscription which was in ancient Hebrew letters. A.H. Sayce and other scholars familiar with ancient Hebrew later deciphered it.
Besides giving Holy Land tourists a hands-on experience to remember, the presence of Hezekiah’s Tunnel holds a greater significance. The tunnel’s story shows the providence of God in protecting Jerusalem, as well as serves as another reminder that the Bible isn’t a book of fables, but is true.
