A recently published study has revealed that ancient Jerusalem’s water infrastructure included a tunnel longer than any known from the Roman Empire. The finding appears in the June 2025 issue of the journal Groundwater and was authored by David Deming of the University of Oklahoma.The underlying article is open access:[...]
The Aqueducts and Water Supply of Ancient JerusalemFor PaleoJudaica posts on Jerusalem's ancient water supply, substantial parts of which have been rediscovered only in this century, start here and follow the links.David Deming
First published: 23 June 2025 https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.70000Article impact statement: Describes the importance of groundwater to the history of the city of Jerusalem and links the utilization of groundwater with religious and cultural history.
Abstract
Jerusalem, a city held sacred by three of the world's great religions, is located in a semi-arid climate, and its occupation through the millennia has only been made possible by the construction of an extensive and ingenious water supply infrastructure. The settlement of Jerusalem was first made possible by water from the Gihon Spring. Over the centuries, the inhabitants of Jerusalem added several pools and reservoirs to collect and store water. Nearly all buildings, both private and public, also had extensive storage capacity in the form of cisterns. To support a burgeoning population and pilgrim growth during the late Second Temple Period, four aqueducts were constructed to bring additional water into Jerusalem. Much work remains to identify, date, classify, and restore the ancient water works of this great city.
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