Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

POOL

Natural pools were simply depressions holding rain water (e.g., Exod. 7:19; 2 Kgs. 3:16; Ps. 84:6[MT 7]; 114:8; Isa. 14:23; 41:18). Artificial pools were large, unroofed reservoirs used to store runoff water or water diverted from nearby springs. Longer in length and width than depth, they were often partially hewn in rock with sides heightened by additional stone blocks. As public water sources, they are mentioned in connection with the names of the towns which they supplied (e.g., Gibeon, 2 Sam. 2:13; cf. Jer. 41:12; Hebron, 2 Sam. 4:12; Samaria, 1 Kgs. 22:38; Heshbon, Cant. 7:4). The size of Jerusalem required numerous pools (e.g., 2 Kgs. 20:20), some of which bear specific designations such as the lower pool (Isa. 22:9), upper pool (2 Kgs. 18:17 = Isa. 36:2; 7:3), old pool (22:11), King’s Pool (Neh. 2:14), pool of Shelah (3:15), artificial pool (v. 16), Bethzatha (John 5:2), and pool of Siloam (9:7). They provided water for households, livestock, industry, healing (John 5:2; 9:7), and irrigation (Eccl. 2:6; Neh. 3:15).

Archaeologists have uncovered a cylindrical shaft at el-Jib, which some speculate is the “pool of Gibeon.” In Jerusalem, the pool of Siloam continues to hold the waters of the Gihon Spring at the southern end of Hezekiah’s tunnel. Below that was a reservoir known today as Birket el-µamra. Two pools on the grounds of the Church of St. Anne are identified with Bethzatha. Known from Josephus are the Amygdalon (Tower Pool), near the Jaffa Gate (BJ 5.468); the Serpent’s Pool, SW of the Jaffa Gate (5.108); and the Struthion, at the northwest corner of the temple mount (5.467). The pool of Israel lay at the eastern end of the northern wall of the temple mount.

Bibliography. D. Adan (Bayewitz), “The ‘Fountain of Siloam’ and ‘Solomon’s Pool’ in First-Century c.e. Jerusalem,” IEJ 29 (1979): 92-100; H. Geva, “Jerusalem: The Second Temple Period: Water Supply,” NEAEHL 2:746-47; J. B. Pritchard, The Water System of Gibeon (Philadelphia, 1961); Y. Shiloh, “Jerusalem: The Early Periods and the First Temple Period: The Water-Supply Systems,” NEAEHL 2:709-12; T. Tsuk, “Pools,” OEANE 4:350-51; “Reservoirs,” OEANE 4:422.

James M. Pace

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

POOL

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)