Jerusalem, Israel, August 29, 2025
A significant archaeological discovery has been announced in Jerusalem, where the largest and earliest known dam in the city has been unearthed, dating to the time of biblical kings. The massive structure, discovered in the City of David National Park, is a testament to the advanced urban planning and engineering of ancient Jerusalem and provides new evidence that the city was a powerful center much earlier than previously thought.
Key Headlines
* Record-Breaking Discovery: The dam is the largest ever found in ancient Israel and the earliest one in Jerusalem, with dimensions of approximately 12 meters high and 21 meters long.
* Precise Dating Confirmed: High-precision radiocarbon dating of organic material from the dam’s mortar has placed its construction at a remarkably narrow window between 805 and 795 BCE.
* A Solution to Climate Crisis: The dam was built during a period of climate challenges, serving to mitigate both water shortages and flash floods.
* Part of a Larger System: The structure was a key component of a sophisticated urban water system that included the Pool of Siloam and other waterworks from the same era.
The discovery was made by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the Weizmann Institute of Science during excavations at the Pool of Siloam. The monumental dam was designed to collect and regulate water from the Gihon Spring and floodwaters flowing down the Tyropoeon Valley, preventing them from draining into the Dead Sea. This dual-purpose function of the dam highlights the ingenuity of the ancient inhabitants of Jerusalem in confronting environmental challenges.
Using advanced dating techniques, researchers were able to pinpoint the dam’s construction to the late ninth century BCE, during the reigns of Judah’s Kings Joash or Amaziah. This dating is significant because it provides tangible, archaeological evidence of the power and sophistication of the Kingdom of Judah during the First Temple period, a time that has been a subject of much debate among scholars.
The dam worked in conjunction with other components of the city’s water infrastructure, including a tower at the Gihon Spring and a channel that funneled water into the Pool of Siloam. The discovery of these interconnected systems provides a comprehensive picture of Jerusalem’s sophisticated water management capabilities nearly three millennia ago, showing how the city’s leaders devised creative and effective solutions to ensure the survival and prosperity of their people.
