Pool of Siloam Where Jesus Reportedly Healed Blind Man to Be Opened to Public

Sometimes archaeologists manage to find sites that were previously only mentioned in ancient texts. This is exactly what happened with the famous Judeo-Christian religious landmark, which is due to be opened to the public.

The Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel National Parks Authority and the City of David Foundation have revealed their plans to fully open the famous Pool of Siloam for sightseeing in the near future.

"The Pool of Siloam in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem is a site of historic, national and international significance. After many years of anticipation, we will soon merit being able to uncover this important site and make it accessible to the millions of visitors visiting Jerusalem each year," said Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion.

The pool is situated in the southern portion of the City of David within the area of the Jerusalem Walls National Park.

It was originally discovered as part of infrastructure work carried out by the Hagihon water company in 2004. After discovering and examining it, archaeologists realized exactly what they had found.

US Pastor John Hagee, the founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, told media: "The Pool of Siloam and the Pilgrimage Road, both located within the City of David, are among the most inspiring archeological affirmations of the Bible."

It should be noted, however, that a small part of the pool had previously been accessible to the public for the past few years. The site will be opened to the public once excavations are complete, either at once or in stages. The archaeologists already have plans to build an observation point so that tourists can watch the work in progress, which is expected to last for several years.

The Pool of Siloam is mentioned in the story of Jesus' healing of the blind in John:9.

According to the Book of Kings, the pool was originally built roughly 2,700 years ago as part of Jerusalem's water system. It was reconstructed in the eighth century BC during the reign of King Hezekia. Finally, the pool reached the size of nearly 5,000 square meters.