Kings, Tunnels, and Canals

Abstract

King David’s conquest of Jerusalem seems to have been an extraordinary deed. The Jebusite citadel survived conquest by the Israelites. Although the Amorite King of Jerusalem, heading a coalition of Amorite kings, was defeated in the field, the City of Jerusalem was not conquered. It defied even King Saul, whose main city was in Gibeah, about five kilometers to the north. One of the reasons that the Jebusites could withstand the assaults of the Israelite warriors was the topographical set up of their city. It was built on a hill surrounded by steep gorges on three sides. The fourth side was probably defended by a wall and a trench. Another reason might have been the water supply which enabled the city to withstand siege. One deep shaft was excavated from within the city walls to reach the water table of the spring of Gihon (“the emerging one”).

And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of chronicles of the kings of Judah? (Kings II 20:20)

And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, he took counsel with his princes and mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city, and they did help him. So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water? (Chronicles II 32:2,3,4)

This is the story of the boring through: whilst (the tunnelers lifted) the pick each towards his fellow and whilst three cubits to (be) bored (there was heard) the voice of a man calling his fellow, for there was a way in the rock on the right hand and on (the left): And on the day of the boring through, the tunnelers struck each in the direction of his fellows, pick against pick, And the water started to flow from the source to the pool twelve hundred cubits. A hundred cubits was the height of the rock above the head of die tunnelers. [The Niqba inscription] (Fig. 11.4)