Bible Fact · John 9:7 — 'Go, wash in the pool of Siloam... So he went and washed and came back seeing.'
The Pool of Siloam
The Fact
In 2004, workers repairing a sewage pipe in Jerusalem's City of David neighborhood struck ancient stone steps. Archaeologists Eli Shukron and Ronny Reich began excavating and uncovered a large first-century pool fed by Hezekiah's Tunnel. The pool measured roughly 225 feet wide, with broad stone steps descending into the water on multiple sides. Coins found in the plaster date the pool to the late Second Temple period — precisely the time of Jesus. John 9 records Jesus telling a blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam after he anointed the man's eyes with mud. The man did, and received his sight. Previously, scholars debated whether the pool mentioned in John 9 was the same as the larger Byzantine-era pool nearby. This discovery confirmed a first-century pool existed exactly where the Gospel places the miracle. The site continues to be excavated.
Context
The pool was a ritual bathing site fed by the Gihon Spring through Hezekiah's Tunnel. Jewish pilgrims would purify themselves here before entering the Temple.
Significance
The Pool of Siloam confirms the geographical accuracy of John 9, placing the healing miracle of Jesus at a real, excavated first-century location.
Reflection
The man born blind obeyed Jesus's unusual instruction without understanding. What 'go and wash' command might God be asking you to obey today?