Posted on 12/23/2004 11:51:22 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Archaeologists Identify Remains of Site Where Bible Says Jesus Restored Blind Man's Sight By Ramit Plushnick-Masti Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM (AP) - Archaeologists in Jerusalem have identified the remains of the Siloam Pool, where the Bible says Jesus miraculously cured a man's blindness, researchers said Thursday - underlining a stirring link between the works of Jesus and ancient Jewish rituals.
The archaeologists are slowly digging out the pool, where water still runs, tucked away in what is now the Arab neighborhood of Silwan. It was used by Jews for ritual immersions for about 120 years until the year 70, when the Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple.
Many of Jesus' acts are directly linked to Jewish rituals, and the miracle of the blind man is an example. According to the Bible, the man was undergoing ritual immersion in the Siloam Pool for entry into the Temple compound, and Jesus used the occasion to cure his blindness.
In the last four months, archaeologists have revealed the pool's 50-yard length and a channel that brought in water from the Silwan spring. In the past week, a section of stone road that led from the pool to the Jewish Temple was uncovered.
"The moment that we revealed and discovered this four months ago, we were 100 percent sure it was the Siloam Pool," said archaeologist Eli Shukron.
"We know today that the Siloam Pool is connected to the Temple Mount. There is a road that connects the two elements. The entire system is clearer today," Shukron said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.tbo.com ...
>> The Israeli Antiquities Authority is negotiating with the Greek Orthodox Church, which owns the land, to continue the dig. Archaeologists believe the pool is under the thick green covering of an overgrown vegetable garden and several large trees. <<
I would certainly expect that the Greek Orthodox Church would appreciate establishing that a spring-fed pool they own is the site of a prominent NT miracle!
Here ya go.
Hmmm, looks like they found the source of the "Miracle" Gro.
Is it my imagination, or has there been an explosion of stories like this recently? The discovery of Peter's home in Jerusalem where the early Christians met, and the pool where John the Baptist baptized. Also the site of the wedding at Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle.
If I was an Israeli archaeologist, I'd be digging for any connection with the Jesus years...good for the tourist business.
The city's location is being disputed. No one has claimed to have found the location of where the actual wedding took place.
I believe St. John the Baptist baptized people in the Jordan, which is bigger than a pool...
Ping to you!
Catholic Ping - please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Don't forget the box where Jesus brothers bones were kept.
From what I read, two different sites are claiming the honor, although it's impossible to decide which is the correct site. There was a thread recently on FR, but I couldn't find it doing a search on "Cana" or "Wedding in Cana". Maybe other keywords would bring it up.
Photograph of an artist's impression of the Siloam Pool in Jerusalem on the basis of new excavations by archaeologists in East Jerusalem December 23, 2004. Archaeologists in Jerusalem have unearthed a paved assembly area and water channel at the site of a pool where some Christians believe Jesus gave sight to a blind man, Israel's Antiquities Authority said on Thursday. The discovery allows them to build a better picture of what the Siloam Pool might have looked like nearly 2,000 years ago -- suggesting it was meant for ritual immersion rather than for use as a reservoir as some have thought. The Siloam Pool is mentioned in the Bible's New Testament as the place where Jesus performed the miracle of giving sight to a man who was blind from birth -- first anointing his eyes with clay and then telling him to wash in the pool.
What a crock.
I remember coverage of this archeological find on the evening news a few months ago. They found a structure built into the rocks which they believed held a baptismal pool used by early Christians. It was in the general area of where John the Baptist was said to have preached, so there was a connection with him. Unfortunately, these stories pop up and then you can't find them when you need 'em.
Water flows through the site where archaeologists believe they have uncovered the remains of the Siloam Pool in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004.
When the people asked Christ why the man had been born blind, because of his sin or the sin of his parents, Christ replied, loosely translated, "Neither, but rather so that the love of God might be made manifest in the world." Something to remember the next time we see a handicapped person.
They are claiming the honor of the location of Cana, not the actual wedding site...
What a crock?
That's it?
No explanation of which part you think is a crock?
Deep thinking not your forte?
What's the crock?
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