Archaeological and other activity at three key Biblical sites looks set to shed new light on some important passages of Scripture.
The Pool at Siloam, where Jesus healed the blind man (John 9:1–11), has long been considered a sacred Christian site, but its exact location remained a mystery until 2004. Then, as a large water pipe south of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount was repaired, two ancient stone steps were identified. Further excavation revealed that they were part of a monumental pool from the time of Jesus.
Now the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel National Parks Authority and the City of David Foundation have announced that the site is to be fully excavated and opened to the public.
The Pool’s origins stretch back to the time of Judah’s King Hezekiah (late eighth century BC). He correctly anticipated a siege against Jerusalem by the Assyrian monarch Sennacherib so, to protect the city’s water supply, ordered the digging of a 1,750-foot tunnel under Jerusalem from the Gihon Spring, which lay outside the city wall, inside the city to the Siloam Pool.
Hezekiah
Further evidence corroborating the Biblical account of Hezekiah has also been discovered recently, at the same tunnel entrance. Inscriptions more than 2,700 years old had not previously been identified due to the erosion of the stones on which they are engraved. But now they have been successfully deciphered. They summarise many of the events of the first 17 years of Hezekiah’s reign including the tunnel project (2 Kings 20:20); the reform of ritual activity (2 Kings 18:4); the conquest of Philistia (2 Kings 18: 8); and the accumulation of treasure (2 Kings 20: 13). Furthermore, they also show the exact date of the completion of the tunnel: 2 Tammuz in the 17th year of Hezekiah’s reign, or 709 BC.
His portrayal in the inscriptions is consistent with the Biblical account, which identifies him as one of the key kings in the consecration of Israel to Yahweh by destroying contemporary cultic and superstitious elements. Archaeologists believe this is one of the most important recent discoveries in Israel, because of the size of the inscription, its age and its accuracy in terms Consultants and Design Workshop) of historical, geographical and religious data.
Archaeologist Gershon Galli, who conducted the excavations, said: ‘These are the most complete royal inscriptions we have, and they are further evidence that the kings of Israel and Judah wrote royal inscriptions that indicated their name and deeds.’ The findings ‘support the claim that the Books of Kings are based on texts originating from chronicles and royal inscriptions, and that the Bible reflects historical reality, not imagination.’.
Bethany Beyond Jordan
Thirdly, in a somewhat different vein, the Jordanian authorities have unveiled ambitious plans to build on a Biblical site where it is believed Jesus was baptised. The $100 million project will seek to turn the Bethany Beyond Jordan site into a ‘tourist city’ that will recreate how Jesus would have lived. They will build a ‘first-century Palestinian village’, along with hotels and restaurants.
Sam Murad, chair of the new foundation overseeing the project, said: ‘We will supply Arab-style tents and all sanitary services that will provide an authentic feeling. This allows us to be in concert with the theme yet at the same time provide housing at reasonable costs for pilgrims who want to spend spiritual time at this sacred location.’
The site stands next to the Al-Maghtas ancient monastery, a UNESCO world heritage site. Following Jordanian efforts to demine the land between Israel and Jordan in the 1990s, many significant Christian archaeological sites were discovered, among those the exact location where it is believed Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist took place (Matt. 3:13-17).
The Baptist World Alliance is one of nine organisations that will be permitted to construct church buildings at the site. Its CEO, Dr Elijah Brown, said the area not only includes the location of Christ’s baptism but also where Elijah ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11).
The project aims to attract millions of Christian pilgrims to visit and celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ baptism. No opening date has been set yet and the project still needs to secure a further $200 million in funding.
