Posted on 02/01/2016 11:25:50 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Since at least the fifth century, Christians had identified a spot in Jerusalem as the Pool of Siloam and the site of the miracle. But it was not until a decade ago that archaeologists found what they are certain is the ancient pool of Siloam.
Like so many such finds, it was almost by accident. During construction work to repair a water pipe near the Temple Mount, Israeli archaeologists Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron found "two ancient stone steps."
According to Biblical Archaeology Review, "Further excavation revealed that they were part of a monumental pool from the Second Temple period, the period in which Jesus lived." The pool was trapezoidal in shape and 225 feet long...
The pool was part of the preparations that King Hezekiah -- the subject of a recent BreakPoint -- made in anticipation of a siege by King Sennacherib of Assyria. According to 2 Chronicles 32, "it was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David."
While the existence of such a tunnel has been known since the late 19th century, many scholars were hesitant to associate it with the one mentioned in 2 Chronicles. Reich's and Shukron's extensive excavation of the area has led them to conclude that the account in 2 Chronicles attributing it to Hezekiah is in fact correct.
According to an inscription in one of the tunnels, called the "Siloam inscription," two teams dug in opposite directions -- one from the north and the other from the south -- and met in the middle.
(Excerpt) Read more at breakpoint.org ...
"The point is that it's become increasingly clear that the default scholarly position of disbelieving the Bible because it is the Bible is untenable."
The Siloam Aqueduct
http://www.varchive.org/tac/siloam.htm
[snip]
The inscription — in biblical Hebrew — slightly damaged, in its six lines tells:
[.. when] (the tunnel) was driven through. And this was the way in which it was cut through: >_ While [. ..] (were) still [..] axe(s), each man toward his fellow, and while there were still three cubits to be cut through, [there was heard] the voice of a man calling to his fellow, for there was an overlap in the rock on the right [and on the left]. And when the tunnel was driven through, the quarrymen hewed (the rock), each man toward his fellow, axe against axe; and the water flowed from the spring toward the reservoir for 1,200 cubits, and the height of the rock above the head(s) of the quarrymen was 100 cubits.(1)
1. “The Siloam Inscription,” transl. by W. F. Albright in James b. Pritchard ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relati ng to the Old Testament (Princeton, 1950), p. 321.
Not long ago, I posted a thread about a video that uses astronomical software that proves that the Wise Men would have seen in the sky precisely what the gospel says they said they saw.
The video maker was attacked for NOT HAVING FAITH. I.e., for claiming that SCIENCE is needed to “prove” that the gospel is true.
So where are the FReepers coming out of the woodwork to attack these archaeologists for using science to prove that the gospel is telling the truth?
Be patient, I'm about to ping the list. I'm just grateful that the writer of the article didn't use BCE/CE dating nomenclature, that *really* brings out the Algonquin Roundtable.
...King Sennacherib of Assyria...Sennacherib is what God did to create Eve.
Thirty-Two years ago, I visited Israel and went on a number of “digs” around the Temple Mount. It was amazing how the Bible came alive to me, seeing the ruins of magnificent stairways leading up to the Temple, Hezekiah’s Wall, the Water Tunnels, and other wonderful things.
I am sure a lot more has been revealed in the many years since I have been there, and reading these articles brings it all back to me.
Thanks for the ping! :-)
That has always struck me as a strange disconnect. Isn’t the Bible itself a historical artifact in addition to being the holy book of the Christians? So why is it such a surprise when a text is confirmed as historically accurate?
My pleasure.
Agendas.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen. Faith is based upon evidence that is seen which supports that which is not seen, which there is myriads of. The only people who cannot see this are blind. Christians should welcome sound evidence of that which is true. It’s like finding more bricks in a wall.
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