Water System

We visited the subterranean water system of Hezekiah's Tunnel, the Canaanite Tunnel, and Warren’s Shaft. To get to the water system, we took a spiral metal staircase down under the City of David. The Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley was the major water source of Jerusalem for over 1,000 years and the tunnels were used to divert the water into the Old City. King Hezekiah’s workmen dug the tunnel named after him in the 7th century BC to bring water from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam inside the city. This was in preparation for an impending siege by the Assyrians. It is a dark and winding tunnel, with water thigh-high in places. Adjacent to Hezekiah's Tunnel is the Canaanite tunnel that provided a well-lit and dry path. I chose the latter!
Warren's Shaft is a vertical shaft next to the Gihon Spring discovered in 1867 by British engineer and archaeologist, Sir Charles Warren.Read more