Hezekiah's tunnel

Hezekiah's Tunnel is an ancient water channel located in Jerusalem, Israel, within the historic City of David area. This engineering marvel, dating from the 8th century BC, was constructed to secure the city’s water supply by channeling water from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam. This strategic underground project reflects the ingenuity and foresight of the Judahite King Hezekiah in response to the impending Assyrian siege.

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Biblical Significance

The construction project itself is described under the construction of Hezekiah's Tunnel, and the inscription found inside it under the Siloam Inscription. Hezekiah's Tunnel is directly referenced in the biblical text, specifically in 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32:30 (see also 2 Chronicles 32:2-4). These passages highlight King Hezekiah's efforts to fortify Jerusalem and ensure a continuous water supply during the Assyrian threat led by King Sennacherib. The construction of the tunnel was a critical component of Hezekiah’s broader defensive measures and reflects his commitment to protecting his people and city.

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Historical Overview

The tunnel carried the water of the Gihon Spring, which rises outside the eastern wall of the City of David, beneath the ridge to the Pool of Siloam on the west side of the city (2 Chronicles 32:30), so that a besieged population still had a protected water source. The siege preparations of which it formed part are told at Sennacherib's campaign of 701 BC.

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Archaeological Evidence

Hezekiah's Tunnel was carved through solid rock over a distance of approximately 533 meters (1,750 feet); Edward Robinson explored it in 1838 and Charles Warren surveyed it in 1865. The channel's construction is an impressive feat of engineering, accomplished by two teams of workers who started at opposite ends and met in the middle, as described in the Siloam Inscription discovered within the tunnel. This inscription, an ancient Hebrew text, provides a detailed account of the tunneling process, describing the meeting of the two dig teams. The tunnel and inscription are established finds, but the inscription does not name the king who built the tunnel. A 2003 radiometric study by Amos Frumkin, Aryeh Shimron and Jeff Rosenbaum dated its construction to about 700 BC, consistent with Hezekiah's reign, while Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron, excavating near the Gihon Spring, have argued for a date in the early 8th century BC or earlier.