Jerusalem was threatened with a siege during King Hezekiah’s reign. To prepare, Hezekiah ordered the construction of a tunnel to secretly bring water into the city.
One of his greatest accomplishments was rerouting water from the Gihon Spring on Jerusalem’s east side to the west, into a protected pool – an effort recorded in 2 Kings 20:20 (also in 2 Chronicles 32:2-4, 30). As 2 Chronicles 32:30 (NKJV) explains:
“This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David.”
In the 1800s, archaeologists rediscovered this remarkable tunnel – about 1,750 feet long and carved through solid rock. Inside, they found the Siloam Inscription, which describes how two teams of workers dug from opposite ends and met in the middle.
In 2007, more inscriptions found near the Gihon Spring were deciphered, adding further evidence of Hezekiah’s work.
This tunnel – still intact today – is not a legend. It’s a real, stone witness to both Hezekiah’s faith and his action. He didn’t just trust God; he obeyed Him. Faith and obedience went hand in hand.
Hezekiah’s Tunnel stands as powerful archaeological confirmation of the Bible’s historical reliability and a lasting example of faithful preparation in the face of danger. We are called to do the same – not just to believe, but to act with reliance on God.
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