Which Way to the Water?

Scholars had long agreed about how the Jerusalemites drew water from the Gihon Spring. According to the traditional understanding—now under attack—an elaborate underground system of tunnels was dug (perhaps by the 10th or 9th century B.C.E.) to give residents of the city access to the Gihon Spring, downslope from the city. As shown in the top drawing, the entrance to the system, according to the old theory, lay inside the city walls. This entry chamber opened onto a steep, stepped tunnel, which led down to a gently inclined, but sharply curved tunnel (the elbow-shaped bend in this tunnel can be seen most clearly in the plan on p. 31) that led to the top of Warren’s Shaft. From here, buckets could be lowered down the shaft to draw water that collected 40 feet below in a lower tunnel leading from the Gihon Spring.

But there are several flaws in the old theory: New excavations reveal that the system was not carved all at once. Further, Warren’s Shaft was not part of the system as originally carved—and was never intended to be. Instead, the curved tunnel completely bypassed Warren’s Shaft and continued through a cave that led to the newly discovered pool.