Archaeologists in Jerusalem said this week that an ancient site where Jesus healed a blind man have been uncovered, revealing a place not seen for more than 2,000 years.
First noted in the Old Testament book of II Kings 20:20, the Pool of Siloam and its steps feature in the account of Jesus healing the man who was born without sight “that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3, ESV).
While a small section of the Pool of Siloam has been accessible for a number of years, the new “dig” — as such excavations are called — reveals the “vast majority” of the large pool that dates back to the eighth century B.C., a Fox News Digital report indicated.
The steps at the pool, located in the City of David site in what is called “Biblical Jerusalem,” have been under excavation since December. According to the online report this week, “significant progress” has been made in unearthing the landmark.
Ze’ev Orenstein, international affairs director for the City of David Foundation, told the network the dig is “one of the greatest affirmations of that heritage and the millennia-old bond Jews and Christians have with Jerusalem.”
He said, “The half-mile running through the City of David, from the Pool of Siloam in the south, continuing along the Pilgrimage Road, up to the footsteps of the Western Wall, Southern Steps and Temple Mount, represents the most significant half-mile on the planet.”
The Pool of Siloam was at one point as large as 1.25 acres and was a significant site in the ancient city. The healing miracle, where Jesus spat on the ground and applied the resulting mud to the blind man’s eyes, culminated in his command that the man “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (John 9:7), which the man did, regaining his sight.
The Washington Times has contacted the City of David Foundation and its partners the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel National Parks Authority for comment.
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