Jerusalem

The Pool of Bethesda in First Century Jerusalem

The Pool of the Sheepmarket was just below the Fortress of Antonia. BETHES'DA (beth-ez'da; Gk. from Aram. Beth hesda, "house of grace"). A spring-fed pool with five porches where invalids waited their turn to step into the mysteriously troubled waters that were supposed to possess healing virtue (John 5:2-4). The last part of v. 3 and all of v....

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Josephus and the Pool of Siloam

The expression "pool of Siloam (which is translated, Sent)" is found 3 times in Scripture-- (Neh 3:15, "Pool of Shelah"; Is 8:6, "waters of Shiloah"; Jn 9:7, "pool of Siloam"). Josephus frequently mentions Siloam, placing it at the termination of the Valley of the Cheesemongers or the Tyropoeon Valley (Wars 5.4.1)--but outside the city wall (W...

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The Pool of Siloam in First Century Jerusalem

The only permanent water source of the city in this period, the monumental Pool of Siloam, is clearly distinguishable in the model. It was fed by waters of the Gihon Spring diverted through Hezekiah's Tunnel, built in the 8th century BC. SILOAM SILOAM, POOL OF (si'lo-am). The expression "pool of Siloam (which is translated, Sent)" (John 9:7...

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Hinnom Valley

All of the rubbish from the entire city of Jerusalem was dumped and burnt here. Otherwise called "the valley of the son of Hinnom," or "the valley of Benhinnom"; a deep and narrow ravine with steep, rocky sides to the S and W of Jerusalem, separating Mt. Zion to the N from the "Hill of Evil Counsel," and the sloping rocky plateau of the "valle...

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Mariamme Tower

Named after his beloved wife whom he had murdered. Josephus said "the king considering it appropriate that the tower named after a woman should surpass in decoration those called after men." It stood 74 feet high....

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The Midrash

"Erets Yisrael is the navel of the world, and Jerusalem is its center, and the Bet ha Mikdash is at the center of Jerusalem, and the Holy of Holies is at its center, and the Holy Ark is at the center of the Holy of holies, and in front of it is the Foundation Stone on which the world was founded." ~ The Midrash...

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The Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; he is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey." – The Bible...

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Christian Hymn

"No people blessed as thine, no city like Jerusalem" ~ Christian Hymn...

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Tunnel of Hezekiah

King Hezekiah had a tunnel constructed which carried water from the Gihon Spring outside the city to the Pool of Siloam. "When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, intent on making war against Jerusalem, he consulted with his officers and warriors about stopping the flow of the springs outside the city, and they supported him. A large force ...

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Jerusalem’s Deep Valley’s

Jerusalem was surrounded on the west, south, and east by deep ravines the which are 200-400 feet deep and therefore made it impossible for an enemy to attack from either these directions. Therefore Herod's Jerusalem was considered unapproachable, except from the north side which was actually protected by the outermost wall which was over 100 feet h...

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