Jerusalem’s Dry Winter Turns Wet, Fills King Herod’s Ancient Pools

JERUSALEM, Israel  – Two thousand years ago, King Herod built an ornate Jerusalem palace, situated near what is now the Jaffa Gate and the Tower of David Museum, one of the most popular tourist sites in Jerusalem’s Old City. As part of Herod’s construction, he ordered the creation of pools, so workers carved steps that led from upper pools of water down to a lower pool for the king and his guests. 

During excavations in the 1980s, those steps carved into the stone of the bedrock were discovered leading down to what would have been the pools of the palace. In the heat of the summer or the dry winters, it is difficult to imagine that there could be sufficient water for the large pools.

However, in recent days with a steady measure of rain, winds and cool temperatures, some of Jerusalem’s streets and hillsides have turned into downspouts, and today, Herod’s ancient pools are filled with water.

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