Viewing entries tagged
Hezekiah
As Hezekiah prepared for Sennacherib’s approach at the end of the 8th century, he knew the city would need water supplies to survive the inevitable siege. II Kings 20:20 notes his solution, which is evident today in the engineering marvel called Hezekiah’s Tunnel (or, Siloam Tunnel). The tunnel is 533 m long with a 0.6% gradient from the mouth of the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam, where it empties.
Spread out over two trips to Israel, I have spent about ten days in and around Jerusalem. During the time walking around the city, I have tried to understand what I can about the city. However, that is a difficult task. Jerusalem has so much history and has changed so much over the millennia that it makes visualizing the city during different periods of time difficult at best.
Yesterday, Leen Ritmeyer wrote a very interesting article about the history of the Temple Mount. It is a perfect example of displaying how hard it is to learn the geographical history of Jerusalem. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try. Because understanding the lands of the Bible helps us to understand the Bible itself.
NOTE: The attached picture was taken from the Mount of Olives. It shows the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount with the Al-Asqa mosque in the background.
