Letters from Palestine: Written during a residence there in the years 1836, 7 and 8Paxton, J. D. (John D.)
Religion
Letters from Palestine: Written during a residence there in the years 1836, 7 and 8
Paxton, J. D. (John D.)
Palestine -- Description and travel
Mount Olivet terminates abruptly, or rather a break is made through
it nearly in a line with the valley of Hinnom, bearing a little to
the south of east. At the mouth of this new valley, which lets off
the water (when there is any) to the eastward, is a small pool,
and adjoining it is a kind of resting or lounging-place, now much
neglected--and close by is the well of Nehemiah, which is very deep,
and we infer from indications about it, that formerly it was much
used; but it is now almost entirely neglected. This is supposed by
some to be the En-rogel in 2 Sam. xvii. 17. Down this valley there
are a number of gardens, and fig and olive trees.
Turning up the valley of the Kedron, we passed some pretty gardens
and lots of ground well set with the fig and other fruit trees. A
few hundred yards brought us to the pool of Siloam. It lies in the
mouth of that little ravine I mentioned as separating Mount Zion
from Mount Moriah, and is now much filled up within the walls,
which cross it at some distance from its mouth. It has, no doubt,
been much filled without the walls, still it is very manifest on
the outside, and near its mouth. There is quite a high bluff on the
Moriah side, near the pool. This valley was formerly called the
valley of the Cheesemongers. It was over this valley that Solomon
is said to have made that splendid ascent to the house of God from
Mount Zion, where his palace stood, that struck the Queen of Sheba
with so much astonishment. 1 Kings, x. 5. The pool of Siloam is
small, not more than twenty or twenty-five feet long, and ten or
twelve wide. It may be eight feet deep, with only eighteen or twenty
inches of water in it. It is fed by the fountain of Siloam, which
rises about three hundred yards farther up the valley, and is taken
under ground through the point of the hill which projects into the
valley from Mount Moriah, and comes out at this place. The water
passes through the pool, and is conveyed by a channel to the edge of
the valley of the Kedron, (for the pool is a little up the valley of
the Cheesemongers, say twenty-five or thirty yards,) then it passes
through a set of troughs, where the people come to obtain water for
themselves and their cattle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account