Ancient cistern emerges at Jerusalem playground.

ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE: Subterranean 1,500-year-old cistern complex found under Jerusalem playground. Antiquities Authority and municipality in talks whether to make the hidden water hole — half the size of an Olympic pool — a tourist site (Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel).

Back in 2005, the Israel Antiquities Authority received word that at a Jerusalem neighborhood playground, the sand was being swallowed up into the earth. After initial testing by IAA archaeologist Dr. Yuval Baruch, it was discovered that the sand box was constructed directly above an ancient water cistern.

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This opens like the beginning of a horror movie. I'm glad it was just a cistern. If you live in Jerusalem, I guess you have to get used to the earth opening up with ancient mysteries.

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