Pool of Siloam
Some of the people that we went to Israel with in May met tonight and shared stories, photos, and updates on life events. As I looked through photos, I was reminded of our trip through King Hezekiah's Tunnel. The tunnel, leading from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam, was designed as an aqueduct to provide Jerusalem with water during an impending siege by the Assyrians, led by Sennacherib. (Wikipedia) My husband and I had no idea what we were getting into by going through this quarter of a mile, pitch black tunnel with water flowing through it at varying heights. The water started out at my thighs and then receded to my ankles. I seriously considered turning around, but the narrow tunnel and long line of people behind me prohibited it.
My husband had a more harrowing trip through the tunnel because he was burdened with our backpack, shoes, and his camera, besides the fact that he's over six feet tall and over 200 pounds and this tunnel was about 5 foot at some spots and two foot wide at other places. He also had to have his flashlight in hand to see all the changes in the height and width of the tunnel. When we got out he had a cut on his head and both shoulders plus a couple of nasty bruises showed up later. I can't imagine how the Israelites maneuvered through this tunnel as an escape route. It was frightening enough without having an enemy chasing after us!
The water from Hezekiah's Tunnel would feed into the Pool of Siloam where Jesus sent the blind man to wash his eyes and he was able to see. Although we could not see in the tunnel without flashlights, this blind man had been in the dark his whole life. How many of us have had eyes to see, but never had the faith to believe Jesus is "the light of the world" and be healed of whatever is blinding us?
My husband had a more harrowing trip through the tunnel because he was burdened with our backpack, shoes, and his camera, besides the fact that he's over six feet tall and over 200 pounds and this tunnel was about 5 foot at some spots and two foot wide at other places. He also had to have his flashlight in hand to see all the changes in the height and width of the tunnel. When we got out he had a cut on his head and both shoulders plus a couple of nasty bruises showed up later. I can't imagine how the Israelites maneuvered through this tunnel as an escape route. It was frightening enough without having an enemy chasing after us!
The water from Hezekiah's Tunnel would feed into the Pool of Siloam where Jesus sent the blind man to wash his eyes and he was able to see. Although we could not see in the tunnel without flashlights, this blind man had been in the dark his whole life. How many of us have had eyes to see, but never had the faith to believe Jesus is "the light of the world" and be healed of whatever is blinding us?
Part of the Roman aqueducts that brought water from the mountains & springs into the cities.
John 9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
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