Ronny Reich

Ronny Reich (born 1947) is an Israeli archaeologist and professor at the University of Haifa who has conducted extensive excavations in Jerusalem, particularly on the southeastern hill identified as the City of David. Working alongside Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority from 1995 onward, Reich's excavations have produced some of the most significant discoveries connecting the physical landscape of ancient Jerusalem to the biblical narrative.

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Key Discoveries

In 2004, Reich and Shukron discovered the Second Temple-period Pool of Siloam when workers repairing a sewage pipe near the southern end of the City of David exposed ancient stone steps. Excavation revealed a monumental stepped pool designed to accommodate hundreds of pilgrims for ritual immersion before ascending to the Temple Mount. The pool is identified with the site mentioned in John 9:7-11. Reich also co-directed the excavation of the Jerusalem Pilgrim Road - the main stepped street connecting the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount - and contributed to the reinterpretation of Warren's Shaft as a natural karstic feature rather than a deliberately cut water tunnel.

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Scholarly Contributions

Reich's work at the City of David spans the longest continuous excavation project in Jerusalem's history. His careful stratigraphic methods and willingness to revise earlier interpretations (as with Warren's Shaft) exemplify rigorous archaeological practice applied to one of the most contested archaeological sites in the world. His publications on Jerusalem's water systems, fortifications, and urban development during the Iron Age and Second Temple period are standard references in the field.