Deus Artefacta: Pool of Siloam

Pool of Siloam - Jerusalem

Let’s dive into the captivating world of ancient wonders as we unveil the remarkable account of the discovery of The Pool of Siloam, also known as Birket el-Hamra. Join us on a mesmerizing journey as we explore the recent discovery of this hidden gem, shrouded in mystery for centuries. Prepare to be amazed as we unravel the secrets of this ancient pool, offering a fresh perspective on its historical significance and the fascinating stories it holds within its depths. Get ready to immerse yourself in a captivating adventure that will transport you back in time to the enchanting era of the first century Pool of Siloam where Jesus healed the blind man.

Research

Newly discovered Pool of Siloam (Biket el-Hamra).
Photo © David E. Graves

On the Pool of Siloam there are two proposed locations for the pool.You should consider the question of whether it is a Ritual Bath [miqveh] or just a large bathing pool. There has been some debate over this in the last couple of years after finding, what they believe to be, the real pool of Siloam. Articles prior to the discovery of the new candidate for the Pool would not have access to this research. Be sure to consider the opinions of Dr. James H. Charlesworth, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Princeton Theological Seminary. Charlesworth, James H. "The Tale of Two Pools: Archaeology and the Book of John. "Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 56 (2011): Pages 1–14. Request through Liberty ILL. Also, Yoel Elitzur,"The Siloam Pool––"˜Solomon’s Pool–– Was a Swimming Pool’. "Palestine Exploration Quarterly 140, no. 1 (2008): 17–25. LINK. Josephus mentioned a swimming pool in his Jewish War 5.145. Remember to provide"the historical background of the site (including history of previous archaeological excavations, if any), objectives of the current excavation, progress at the site, and significance of discoveries to biblical study. "Make sure to choose a good encyclopedia, journal articles, and books that specialize in the subject. This will give you a cross section of material.

Also, I have material in my book along with photographs and illustrations. Key Themes of the Old Testament: A Survey of Major Theological Themes (Moncton, N.B.: Electronic Christian Media, 2013), 282–84. LINK

Possible Research help, but much of this is out of date:

Armstrong, Chris. “Pool of Siloam Discovered.” Christian History and Biography 88 (Fall 2005): 9. EBSCO
Blake, Frank R. “The Word"____ in the Siloam Inscription.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 22 (January 1, 1901): 55–60. JSTOR
Charlesworth, James H. “The Tale of Two Pools: Archaeology and the Book of John.” Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 56 (2011): 1–14. Liberty ILL
Elitzur, Yoel. “The Siloam Pool–" ˜Solomon’s Pool–– Was a Swimming Pool’.” Palestine Exploration Quarterly 140, no. 1 (2008): 17–25. LINK.
Frumkin, Amos, and Aryeh Shimron. “Tunnel engineering in the Iron Age: geo–archaeology of the Siloam Tunnel, Jerusalem.” Journal of Archaeological Science 33, no. 2 (2006): 227–237. LINK
Graves, David E. “Moments in History: Hezekiah.” Key Themes of the Old Testament: A Survey of Major Theological Themes (Moncton, N.B.: Electronic Christian Media, 2013), 278–80. Look Inside
———.“ Pool of Siloam.” Biblical Archaeology Vol. 1: An Introduction with Recent Discoveries That Support the Reliability of the Bible (Toronto, Ont.: Electronic Christian Media, 2014), 196–98. Google Look Inside
Hayes, Holly. “Pool of Siloam, Jerusalem.” Sacred Destinations: Sacred Sites, Religious Places LINK
Masterman, E. W. G. “Recent Excavations in Jerusalem.” The Biblical World 39, no. 5 (May 1, 1912): 295–306. JSTOR (outdated – article is on the old pool)
Maugh, Thomas H. II. “Biblical Pool of Siloam Uncovered in Jerusalem.” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, August 09, 2005. LINK
Phillip J. Long, “Two Pools in Jerusalem – Bethesda and Siloam.” Reading Acts: Some thoughts on the Book of Acts and Pauline Theology, November 27, 2010. LINK
Reich, Ronny. Excavating the City of David: Where Jerusalem’s History Began. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2011. LINK
Reich, Ronny, Eli Shukron and Omri Lernau. “Recent Discoveries in the City of David, Jerusalem.” Israel Exploration Journal 57 no. 2 (2007): 153–169. JSTOR.
Rendsburg, Gary A. and William M. Schniedewind. “The Siloam Tunnel Inscription: Historical and Linguistic Perspectives.” Israel Exploration Journal 60 no. 2, (2010): 188–203. JSTOR
Shanks, Hershel. “The Pool of Siloam Has Been Found, but Where Is the Pool of Siloam?” Biblical Archaeology Review 43, no. 1 (2017).
———. “Ritual Bath or Swimming Pool?.” Biblical Archaeology Review 34, no. 3 (2008): 18. LOOKUP or LINK
———. “The Siloam Pool: Where Jesus Cured the Blind Man.” Biblical Archaeology Review 31, no.5 (2005): 17–23. PDF or LINK
Sneh, Amihai, Ram Weinberger and Eyal Shalev. “The Why, How, and When of the Siloam Tunnel Reevaluated." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 359 (August 2010): 57–65. JSTOR
Von Wahlde, Urban C. “Archaeology and John’s Gospel.” Pages 523-86, esp. 568–70. Jesus and Archaeology. Charlesworth, James H., ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2006.
———.“The Puzzling Pool of Bethesda Where Jesus Cured the Crippled Man.” Biblical Archaeology Review 37, no. 5 (2011): 40–47, 65. BAR
———.“The Pool of Siloam: The Importance of the New Discoveries For Our Understanding of Ritual Immersion in Late Second Temple Judaism and the Gospel of John.” In John, Jesus, and History: Aspects of Historicity in the Fourth Gospel, edited by Paul N. Anderson, Felix Just, and Tom Thatcher, 155–73. Atlanta, Ga.: SBL, 2009. LOOK INSIDE
Waterman, H. B. "The Siloam Inscription.” The Hebrew Student 1, no. 3 (June 1, 1882): 52–53. JSTOR (outdated – article is on the old pool)
Wright, Theodore F. “Nehemiah’s Night Ride (Neh. 2:12–15).” Journal of Biblical Literature 15, no. 1/2 (January 1, 1896): 129–134. JSTOR (outdated – article is on the old pool)
———.“The Siloam and Simplon Tunnels.” The Biblical World 27, no. 6 (June 1, 1906): 468–472. LINK (outdated – article is on the old pool)
Wilkinson, John. “The Pool of Siloam.” Levant 10 no. 1 (1978) 116–25. (outdated – article is on the old pool)

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias:

The list of abbreviations can be found here. LINK

Coote, Robert B. “Siloam Inscription.” Pages 23–24 in vol 6 of The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 vols. Freedman, David Noel, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, and John David Pleins, eds. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
Freedman, David Noel, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck, eds. “Siloam.” Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2000, 1213–14.
Mare, W. Harold, “Siloam, Pool of (Place).” Page 24–26 in vol 6 of The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 vols. Freedman, David Noel, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, and John David Pleins, eds. New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1992.
Negev, Avraham. “Siloam.” In The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land. Edited by Michael Avi–Yonah and Ephraim Stern, 3rd ed. Vol. 4. New York, N.Y.: Prentice Hall, 1996. (outdated – article is on the old pool)
Pfeiffer, Charles F., ed. “Siloam Inscription.” pages 528–33 in Wycliffe Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2000.(outdated – article is on the old pool)