Second Temple Water Channel Complete

March 21, 2011

Two parts were uncovered previously: the northern part in 1867 and the southern part in 1894–97. Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa’s Department of Archaeology explains: “The archaeological excavation coupled with extensive research, conclusively proved the theory that these two parts were actually part of a single water channel. This was proven when those cleaning the debris inside the channel from the southern end connected with the portion of the channel that is next to Robinson’s Arch [which juts out of the Western Wall to the south of the prayer plaza].”  

	Photo by IAA
	The remains of Robinson’s arch en.wikipedia.org /Brian Jeffery Beggerly
	The paved road above the water channel passed under the arch to the north en.wikipedia.org

The central and monumental discovery made here was the paved road that lies above the water channel (reported in the December 2009 Dispatch). It is on this road that residents of Jerusalem and pilgrims walked in ancient times. Only a few individual sections of this road have been revealed. However, now, the water channel that runs beneath it has been uncovered in its entirety (approximately 600 meters or nearly 2,000 feet). “There is evidence from this channel that city leaders from 2,000 years ago took strides to ensure the welfare of the city’s residents and the pilgrims who visited. In ancient times, the channel carried mainly rain water that collected in the city streets so as not to accumulate and inconvenience the public,” adds Reich.

Aspects of the channel point to the monumental investment that went into its construction. The northern part is carved into the bedrock and covered with an arched stone dome along its length, while further south, it is covered with flat slabs of stone.

Josephus, the Roman historian tells us about the last Jews in the city, who fleeing the Roman destruction in AD 70, hid inside this tunnel. “The Romans killed some of them, some they carried captives, and others they made a search for underground, and when they found where they were, they broke up the ground and killed all they met with,” wrote Josephus.

Source: From an IAA press release