Jerusalem Water Channel
Encyclopedia
The Jerusalem water channel is an archaeological site in Jerusalem, Israel
. It is a large, ancient drainage tunnel or sewer that runs down the Tyropoeon Valley
and once drained runoff and storm water from the city of Jerusalem.
The tunnel was discovered in 2007 by archaeologists Ronny Reich
and Eli Shukron
who were excavating the Jerusalem pilgrim road
when they happened on the water channel.
The walls of the channel are made of heavy slabs of stone. Manhole
s with round, stone manhole cover
s are spaced along the length of the channel. Some of the original plaster is intact. Pottery and coins found in the water channel confirm its date.
The water channel has been identified as the water channel described in Josephus
Flavius’s The Wars of the Jews
. According to Josephus, in which thousands of Jerusalemites took refuge from the Roman sacking of Jerusalem inside this water channel. Archaeologists attribute ash on the walls of the channel to fires set by the Romans attempting to force the Jewish survivors out of the channel.
The channel is about a kilometer in length.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It is a large, ancient drainage tunnel or sewer that runs down the Tyropoeon Valley
Tyropoeon Valley
Tyropoeon Valley is the name given by Josephus the historian to the valley or rugged ravine, in the Old City of Jerusalem, which in ancient times separated Mount Moriah from Mount Zion and emptied into the valley of Hinnom...
and once drained runoff and storm water from the city of Jerusalem.
The tunnel was discovered in 2007 by archaeologists Ronny Reich
Ronny Reich
Ronny Reich is an Israeli archaeologist, excavator and scholar of the ancient remains of Jerusalem.-Education:Reich studied archaeology and geography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His MA thesis Ronny Reich (born 1947) is an Israeli archaeologist, excavator and scholar of the ancient...
and Eli Shukron
Eli Shukron
Eli Shukron is an Israeli archaeologist employed by the Israel Antiquities Authority. He has made several significant finds from the period of the Second Temple of Jerusalem....
who were excavating the Jerusalem pilgrim road
Jerusalem pilgrim road
The Jerusalem pilgrim road is an ancient road used by ritual processions ascending from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount via the Hulda Gates in the Southern Wall.-History:...
when they happened on the water channel.
The walls of the channel are made of heavy slabs of stone. Manhole
Manhole
A manhole is an opening used to gain access to sewers or other underground structures, usually for maintenance.Manhole may also refer to:* Manhole , a metal band from Los Angeles* The Manhole, a computer game...
s with round, stone manhole cover
Manhole cover
A manhole cover is a removable plate forming the lid over the opening of a manhole, to prevent anyone from falling in and to keep unauthorized persons out....
s are spaced along the length of the channel. Some of the original plaster is intact. Pottery and coins found in the water channel confirm its date.
The water channel has been identified as the water channel described in Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
Flavius’s The Wars of the Jews
The Wars of the Jews
The Jewish War , in full Flavius Josephus's Books of the History of the Jewish War against the Romans , also referred to in English as The Wars of the Jews and The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem, is a book written by the 1st century Jewish historian Josephus.It is a description of Jewish...
. According to Josephus, in which thousands of Jerusalemites took refuge from the Roman sacking of Jerusalem inside this water channel. Archaeologists attribute ash on the walls of the channel to fires set by the Romans attempting to force the Jewish survivors out of the channel.
The channel is about a kilometer in length.