GIHON SPRING

Gihon Spring, courtesy, TimesOfIsrael.com

The ancient Gihon Spring is located between the Old City of Jerusalem and the City of David on the west, and the Kidron Valley and Mount of Olives on the east. Today, it is an archaeological site known as Kikar Gihon, Gihon Square, located along Derech HaShiloah. It is said that this spring rivals all the other springs in the Judean Hills with enough water flow that could fill 50,000 bottles per hour. According to the Talmud, Gihon is exactly in the center of the Land of Israel and owing to its peculiar ebb and flow, it has always been popularly regarded as an arm of the Mediterranean Sea.

King Solomon was anointed king at this spring. During the reign of King Hezekiah, a tunnel was built from the Gihon leading to the nearby Pool of Shiloah, approximately half a mile south. The opening of Gihon, which was not larger than a coin, was enlarged thus allowing water to flow more freely. But the work had scarcely been done when the stream grew less in volume. He therefore had it made smaller, whereupon the original quantity again appeared. The tunnel also provided the Temple with a fresh water supply. It was destroyed with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. The tunnel, today, is dry. A little water is still found at the Gihon Spring but most of the local water is now found at the Pool of Shiloah.