Cistern in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

sis'-tern: Use of Terms 1. General 2. Wells or Cylindrical Cisterns 3. Private Cisterns 4. Public Cisterns 5. Pools and Aqueducts 6. Figurative Uses LITERATURE Several words are rendered by "cistern," "well," "pool," the relations of which in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) are as follows: Use of Terms: "Cistern," bo'r (Jer 2:13, etc.), or bor (2 Ki 18:31). The latter word is frequently in the King James Version translated "well." the Revised Version (British and American) in these cases changes to "cistern" in text (Dt 6:11; 2 Ch 26:10; Neh 9:25) margin (Jer 14:3), rendered "pit" in the King James Version are changed to "cistern" the Revised Version (British and American) (the latter in the American Standard Revised Version only). The proper Hebrew word for "well" is be'er (seen in Beer- sheba, "well of the oath," Gen 21:31), but other terms are thus rendered in the King James Version, as `ayin (Gen 24:13,16, etc., and frequently), ma`yan (Josh 18:15), maqor (Prov 10:11). ally changes to "fountain"; in Ex 15:27, however, it renders `ayin by "springs," and in Ps 84:6, ma`yan by, "place of springs." "Pool," 'agham (Isa 14:23, etc.; in the King James Version, Ex 7:19; 8:5, rendered "ponds"); more frequently berekhah (2 Sam 2:13; 4:12, etc.). In Ps 84:6 the cognate berakhah, is changed to "blessing." In the New Testament "well" represents the two words: pege (Jn 4:6,14; in the Revised Version, margin "spring"; 2 Pet 2:17; the Revised Version (British and American) renders "springs"), and phrear (Jn 4:11,12). "Pool" is kolumbethra, in Jn 5:2,4,7; 9:7,11. 1. General: The efforts made to supplement the natural water supply, both in agricultural and in populated areas, before as well as after the Conquest, are clearly seen in the innumerable cisterns, wells and pools which abound throughout Israel The rainy season, upon which the various storage systems depend, commences at the end of October and ends in the beginning of May. In Jerusalem, the mean rainfall in 41 years up to 1901 was 25,81 inches, falling in a mean number of 56 days (see Glaisher, Meteorological Observations, 24). Toward the end of summer, springs and wells, where they have not actually dried up, diminish very considerably, and cisterns and open reservoirs become at times the only sources of supply. Cisterns are fed from surface and roof drainage. Except in the rare instances where springs occur, wells depend upon percolation. The' great open reservoirs or pools are fed from surface drainage and, in some cases, by aqueducts from springs or from more distant collecting pools. In the case of private cisterns, it is the custom...