Above, Real Siloam Pool
Hello friends! The following is The Siloam Pool. This is the place where our Lord Jesus Christ healed the blind man mentioned in John 9 :) This is the real Siloam Pool
Next up is a quick video of the real Siloam Pool and then an article with all the details of the archaeological finding, along with part of another article explaining the confusion between sites :)
(Credit given at the bottom of each article :D)
(Credit given at the bottom of each article :D)
John 9
9 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Praise The Lord JESUS CHRIST!!!
The Siloam Pool: Where Jesus Healed the Blind Man
A sacred Christian site identified by archaeologists
In 2004, the stepped remains of the ancient Siloam Pool, long thought to be located elsewhere, were uncovered near the City of David. According to the Gospel of John, it was at this sacred Christian site that Jesus healed the blind man. Photo: Todd Bolen/BiblePlaces.com.The Siloam Pool has long been considered a sacred Christian site, even if the correct identification of the site itself was uncertain. According to the Gospel of John, it was at the Siloam Pool where Jesus healed the blind man (John 9:1–11).
Traditionally, the Christian site of the Siloam Pool was the pool and church that were built by the Byzantine empress Eudocia (c. 400–460 A.D.) to commemorate the miracle recounted in the New Testament. However, the exact location of the original pool as it existed during the time of Jesus remained a mystery until June 2004.
During construction work to repair a large water pipe south of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, at the southern end of the ridge known as the City of David, archaeologists Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron identified two ancient stone steps. Further excavation revealed that they were part of a monumental pool from the Second Temple period, the period in which Jesus lived. The structure Reich and Shukron discovered was 225 feet long, with corners that are slightly greater than 90 degrees, indicating a trapezoidal shape, with the widening end oriented toward Tyropoeon valley.
The Siloam Pool is adjacent to the area in the ancient City of David known as the King’s Garden and is just southeast of the remains of the fifth-century church and pool traditionally believed to be the sacred Christian site.
The free eBook Ten Top Biblical Archaeology Discoveries brings together the exciting worlds of archaeology and the Bible with such finds as the Tel Dan inscription, the Siloam Pool and the Nag Hammadi Library.
Artist’s rendering of the Siloam Pool, the Biblical Christian site where Jesus healed the blind man. Image: Jason Clarke.What was the function of the Siloam Pool during Jesus’ time? Because the pool is fed by waters from the Gihon Spring, located in the Kidron Valley, the naturally flowing spring water would have qualified the pool for use as a mikveh for ritual bathing. However, it could also have been an important source of fresh water for the inhabitants on that part of the city. One scholar has even suggested that it was a Roman-style swimming pool. Whatever its original purpose, the Siloam Pool where Jesus healed the blind man is an important Christian site, and its discovery represents a watershed moment in the field of Biblical archaeology.
The Confusion Between Pools
Around the Byzantine period (324-628 A.D.) the empress Eudocia visited Jerusalem and commissioned a church to be built at the end of Hezekiah’s tunnel to commemorate the blind man in John 9. (Remember the real one is buried under 300 yrs of mud). That church does not exist today, only a few remains and a current mosque. There was no real evidence until June 2004 to believe this wasn’t the Pool of Siloam. Why? Let’s go back even further.
The end of Hezekiah's tunnel. Eudocia built a church here assuming this was the Siloam Pool
The Old Testament records King Hezekiah building an underground tunnel 1,750 ft from the Gihon Spring (outside the city) into the city to protect the water supply from the oncoming Assyrian army (II Chron. 32:3-4). II Kings 20:20 andII Chron. 32:30 also recalls this great engineering feat.
Notice the newly discovered Siloam Pool is southwest from where it was originally thought.
The confusion of pool location came not only from empress Eudocia jumping to conclusions and the “real pool” being covered in mud for over a thousand years, but also the fact there were 2 pools. She assumed just because there was a pool at the end of Hezekiah’s underground tunnel that it was the Siloam Pool. There is an upper pool and a lower pool. Both of them collected water from the Gihon Spring. The ‘Upper Pool’ received its water from Hezekiah’s underground tunnel and was assumed to be the Siloam pool and the ‘Lower Pool’ (actual Siloam Pool) received its water via a short channel. Archaeologists are certain that the ‘Lower Pool’ was the pool in use during Jesus’ time. It was accidently discovered in June 2004 by a city utilities worker. In fact, they found coins ofAlexander Jannaeus (103-76 B.C.), a late Hasmonian (Jewish) king in the plaster of the Siloam Pool. They also found pottery in the plaster of the pool dating from the late Second Temple period which ended in 70 A.D. by the Romans. Another scan of the pool revealed a dozen coins from the period of the 1st Jewish revolt against Rome (66-70 A.D.). We are certain this is the Pool of Siloam during Jesus’ time and the exact pool where the blind man received his sight.
Actual Pool of Siloam. Sight of blind man's healing. Image(s) courtesy of http://www.HolyLandPhotos.org
View looking west along the northern edge of the pool. Image(s) courtesy ofhttp://www.HolyLandPhotos.org
I’m not sure what it is about seeing something over 2,000 years old that makes me awe. Perhaps seeing the old rubble stones and realizing the actual God-creator walked upon the same stones and performed miracles at the exact spot. The miracles of Jesus are told so many times they often become just stories or great tales. We lose the reality of the situation that this actually happened and I can show you where!
The blind beggar reaches his destination. He quickly takes off his clothes to wash in this ritual pool. He steps down onto the steps deeper and deeper and cups his hands and submerges them in the water. As the water overflows out of his trembling hands he rinsed the spit and mud that had started to dry from his closed eyelids. He wipes the water from his eyes and lifts his head. The moment has come, obedience brings its fruit. He slowly opens his eyes and squints from the suns reflection off the water. He smiles and opens his eyes wider to see, to see life.
So often in our lives the Lord works in unusual ways. He put spit and mud on an unsuspecting blind man’s eyes and made him walk 1,000 yards to wash. Do you remember a time in your life when you would have been willing to make that same walk? You used to obey Him simply because you were intrigued at what He would and could do. Perhaps you have received your spiritual sight and you no longer let Him work. Do you no longer walk the unknowing/faithful path to the “Pool?” Just because we now see doesn’t mean we stop letting God “spit in our eyes”. Let God work in you. Walk the faithful path to the “pool” and wash, for Christ is forever the “Living Water!”
Dig Deeper in His Word and See What You Find,
Steven English
I am honored that you take time to read these posts. I hope they open your eyes to spiritual and Biblical insight. Please support this ministry by simply forwarding this site to your friends and family and encourage them to sign up for free. Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment