Siloam, Pool of — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Pool mentioned in John 9. Jesus, after anointing with clay the eyes of a blind man, directed him to go and wash in the pool. The man obeyed. He washed and came back with his sight fully restored.

The pool of Siloam of NT days marked the emergence of Hezekiah’s tunnel, dug during the threat of the Assyrian invasion about 700 BC. This tunnel is S-shaped and is described both in 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32:2-4. Archaeologists found an inscription in the tunnel consisting of Hebrew letters chiseled into the side of the tunnel indicating the progress and the meeting place of the two groups of workmen (each of which had started on one side and worked their way to the middle). This inscription has since been removed and is now in the museum in Istanbul. The ancient Hebrew reads:

Show passage in OET: KI2 20:20

OET-RV KI2 20:20

20 Everything else that Hizkiyah (Hezekiah) said and did, including his making the pool and tunnel to bring water into the city, is written in the book of the events of the kings of Yehudah (Judah).

OET-LV KI2 20:20

20 And_the _rest _of the _matters _of Ḩizqiy^yāh and_all might _of_his and_which he _made DOM the_pool and_DOM the_conduit and_he/it _brought DOM the_waters to_the_city not are_they written on the _scroll _of the _matters _of the_days of_the _kings _of of _Yəhūdāh/(Judah).

Show passage in OET: CH2 32:2–4

OET-RV CH2 32:2

2 When King Hizkiyah saw that Sanheriv had entered the country and clearly intended to attack Yerushalem (Jerusalem),

OET-RV CH2 32:3

3 he consulted with his officials and army leaders about blocking up the springs outside the city, and they helped him.

OET-RV CH2 32:4

4 Many people gathered and blocked the springs from feeding the stream that flowed through the area, saying, “Why should the Assyrian kings come and find plenty of water?”

OET-LV CH2 32:2

2 And_ Ḩizqiy^yāh _he/it _saw if/because _that Şanḩērīⱱ he _had _come and_face _of_his was_for_war on Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem).

OET-LV CH2 32:3

3 And_he _took _counsel with officials _of_his and_his _mighty _of_men to_stop _up DOM the _waters _of the _springs which were_from_the_outside of_city and_they_helped _him.

OET-LV CH2 32:4

4 And_ people numerous _they _assembled and_they _stopped _up DOM all _of the_springs and_DOM the_wadi which_flowed in _the_middle the_earth/land to_say to/for_what the _kings _of ʼAshshūr will _they _come and_they _will _find waters many.

Jump to OET KI2 20:20 section.

Jump to OET CH2 32:2–4 section.

When the tunnel was driven through . . . each man toward his fellow, and while there were still three cubits to be cut through—the voice of a man calling to his fellow. . . . And when the tunnel was driven through, the quarrymen hewed, each toward his fellow, axe against axe; and the water flowed from the spring toward the reservoir for 1200 cubits, and the height of the rock above the heads of the quarrymen was 100 cubits.

The purpose of the pool originally was to bring water inside the city walls and deny it to invaders of Jerusalem. It flowed through the temple mount to the inner part of the city, where it was accessible to the residents. Water from Gihon Spring flows through the tunnel, emerges at the pool (also called the King’s Pool in Neh 2:14 and the pool of Shelah in 3:15), continues down the valley through the ancient area of the king’s gardens, reenters the Kidron Valley, and makes its way toward the Dead Sea south of the Essene site at Qumran. The Gihon Spring, the only natural source of water in Jerusalem, is a copious perennial stream. This, together with a rugged terrain, explains the strength of Jerusalem and the reason why it had been chosen for a place of habitation since the early Bronze Age.

Show passage in OET: NEH 2:14

OET-RV NEH 2:14

14 Then I crossed to the Fountain Gate and the Royal Pool, but there was nowhere that we could get my mount through the rubble.

OET-LV NEH 2:14

14 And_I _passed _on to the _gate _of the _spring and_near/to the _pool _of the_king and_there_was_not room for_animal to_pass _through under_me.

Show passage in OET: NEH 3:15

OET-RV NEH 3:15

15 Kal -Hozeh’s son Shalun, the administrator for the Mitspah district, rebuilt the Fountain Gate—he built and covered it, installing the doors with their bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Shelah Pool from the king’s garden as far as the stairs that come down from the City of David.

OET-LV NEH 3:15

15 And_DOM the _gate _of the _spring Shallūn the _son _of Kol/(Col)- Ḩozeh the _official _of the _district _of (the)_Miʦpāh he _repaired he he_rebuilt _it and_he_roofed _over _it and doors _of_its bolts _of_its and_bars _of_its and_DOM the _wall _of the _pool _of (the)_Shēlāh to/for_garden the_king and_unto the_steps which_go_down from_the _city _of Dāvid.

Jump to OET NEH 2:14 section.

Jump to OET NEH 3:15 section.

Siloam now lies outside the old city of Jerusalem. The pool today measures 50 feet (15.2 meters) long and 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide and lies 16 steps below street level. A Byzantine church stood over the pool until it was destroyed by the Persians in AD 614.