Hezekiah's Tunnel (Siloam Tunnel)
533-metre rock-cut water channel bringing the Gihon Spring inside Jerusalem's walls
Found 1838 — Edward Robinson (first scholarly exploration, 1838); surveyed by Charles Warren (1865–67)
Where City of David, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) (Israel)
Dates from c. 705–701 BCE (traditional dating) · Iron Age IIB · Reign of Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah), before Sennacherib's invasion
Now at In situ; open to visitors at the City of David National Park, Jerusalem
How Hezekiah's Tunnel (Siloam Tunnel) was found
Known to locals for centuries; Robinson and Eli Smith waded and crawled its length in 1838. Warren mapped it for the Palestine Exploration Fund. Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron re-excavated the spring area from 1995 onward.
What it is
A winding tunnel about 533 m long, hewn through bedrock from both ends at once, carrying water from the Gihon Spring on the east slope to the Pool of Siloam on the southwest of the City of David. It is high enough to walk through and still carries water today. A Hebrew inscription near the outlet describes the moment the two crews met.
Why it matters for the Bible
The Bible says Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) 'made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city' and stopped up the outside springs before Sennacherib's attack. The tunnel is the strongest physical candidate for that project. Most scholars date it to Hezekiah's reign; Reich and Shukron have argued for a slightly earlier start in the late 9th or early 8th century, so the attribution is strong but not undisputed. The Iron Age pool at its outlet has barely been found; the large stepped pool excavated in 2004 is Second Temple period.
The Hebrew word: te-ah-LAH
תְּעָלָה
תְּעָלָה is pronounced te-ah-LAH and means conduit, channel (Strong's H8585).
People this discovery connects to
- Hezekiah — חִזְקִיָּהוּ (Chiz-kee-YAH-hoo) — YHVH strengthens
Places
- Gihon — גִּיחוֹן (Gee-CHOHN) — gushing (spring)
- Siloam / Shiloach — שִׁלֹחַ (Shee-LOH-ach) — sent / conduit
Events
Hezekiah's preparations for Sennacherib's siege (701 BCE)
Hezekiah's Tunnel (Siloam Tunnel) in Scripture
2 Kings 16:20 First mention of Hezekiah in Scripture.
2 Kings 20:20 Summarises Hezekiah's reign by naming the pool and conduit that brought water into the city — the tunnel is the likely referent.
2 Chronicles 32:30 States that Hezekiah stopped the upper outlet of the Gihon and channelled the water west to the City of David, matching the tunnel's route.
Questions people ask
What is Hezekiah's Tunnel (Siloam Tunnel)?
A winding tunnel about 533 m long, hewn through bedrock from both ends at once, carrying water from the Gihon Spring on the east slope to the Pool of Siloam on the southwest of the City of David. It is high enough to walk through and still carries water today. A Hebrew inscription near the outlet describes the moment the two crews met.
When was Hezekiah's Tunnel (Siloam Tunnel) discovered?
It was found in 1838 by Edward Robinson (first scholarly exploration, 1838); surveyed by Charles Warren (1865–67), at City of David, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).
Where is Hezekiah's Tunnel (Siloam Tunnel) today?
In situ; open to visitors at the City of David National Park, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Hezekiah's Tunnel (Siloam Tunnel) relate to?
2 Kings 16:20, 2 Kings 20:20, 2 Chronicles 32:30.
Related discoveries
- בָּמָהCity of David Rock-Cut Sanctuary RoomsEight bedrock chambers near the Gihon with an altar, olive press and winepress, sealed in the 8th century BCE
- נִקְבָּהSiloam InscriptionHebrew record of the moment two tunnelling crews met under Jerusalem
- הַחוֹמָה הָרְחָבָהThe Broad WallSeven-metre-thick fortification from Hezekiah's expansion of Jerusalem
- מִלּוֹאThe Millo: Where Was It?The Stepped Stone Structure and the Gihon Spring fortifications as rival candidates for the biblical Millo
- פַּחַת יְהוּדָהPersian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small CityThe scanty but telling remains of the Jerusalem Ezra and Nehemiah knew
- חוֹמָהNehemiah's Wall in the City of DavidA Persian-period wall and tower on the eastern slope, proposed as the wall Nehemiah rebuilt in 52 days
Sources
- Wikipedia, 'Siloam tunnel'
- Reich & Shukron, 'The Date of the Siloam Tunnel Reconsidered', Tel Aviv 38 (2011)