Birket Israel
Birket Israel (trans. Pool of Israel) also Birket Israil or Birket Isra'in,[1] abbreviated from Birket Beni Israìl (trans. Pool of the Children of Israel) was a public cistern located on the north-eastern corner of the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem. The structure is believed to have been built by the Romans for use as a water reservoir and also to protect the northern wall of the Temple Mount. Arab locals have known it by this name since at least 1857.[2]
By the mid-19th century it had gone out of use as a reservoir; being partly filled with rubbish and reused as a vegetable garden. In 1934 it was filled in and is now known as el-Ghazali Square. It is currently in mixed use for shops, as a car park, and as a transshipment point for refuse.
Construction
According to Muslim tradition, the reservoir was constructed by
It was constructed in the bed of the western fork of the Kidron Valley that traverses the north-west quarter of the city.[6] It formed Jerusalem's largest reservoir, measuring 109.7 m (360 ft) by 38.4 m (126 ft) with a maximum depth of 26 m (85 ft).[7] The cistern contained a total capacity of 120,000 cubic meters[4] and for centuries it formed part of Jerusalem's rainwater storage system. The pool also served as a moat, protecting the northern wall of the Temple Mount.[8]
The eastern and western ends of the pool were partially rock-cut and partly
Misidentification as the "Pool of Bethesda"
The Birket Israel cistern was frequented by Christian pilgrims during the 19th century, it being previously identified as the "Sheep Pool" or Pool of Bethesda of John 5:2; a double-pool with five porches, where the sick came to be cured.[10] This link was based on the premise that the nearby St. Stephen's Gate occupied the site of the Sheep Gate mentioned in the New Testament. It was reinforced by the co-location of the names 'Birket Israel' and the 'Pool of Bethesda' on maps and plans of Jerusalem; and in drawings and paintings, such as those made by David Roberts in 1893.[11]
According to Kopp, the Pool of Bethesda became associated with a
Later uses
By the mid-19th century, Birket Israel was no longer being used as a reservoir;[2] and towards the end of the 19th century it was being rapidly filled with refuse and part of it was being used as a vegetable garden.[13] In 1934 the pool was filled in because its condition posed a threat to public health.[14]
Being located just inside the
Today the area is known as el-Ghazali Square and is used as a car park and collection point for refuse before it is dumped outside the city.[15] Some small shops also exist at the site.
See also
References
- ^ Koenen, Klaus. (2004) Bethel: Geschichte, Kult and Theologie
- ^ a b Hackett (1857), p. 186
- ^ Hanauer (2008), p. 104
- ^ a b From Pompey to the Destruction of the Second Temple
- ^ Warren, Charles. Conder, Claude Reigner. The Survey of Western Palestine, Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, London, 1884.
- ^ Paton [1908] (1977), p. 35
- ^ Finkelstein, Horbury, Davies & Sturdy (1999), p. 10
- ^ Response to Other Theories Archived September 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1913)
- ^ a b c d e Kopp (1963), Pages 305–313.
- ^ Schuler, Wolfgang (1991). In the Holy Land: Paintings by David Roberts 1839. Bnei Brak, Israel: Steimatzky ltd. What appears to be Birket Israel is described as: "Jerusalem, Bethesda Pool between the Temple Mount (left) and St. Anna".
- ^ Wallace [1898] (1977), p. 225
- ^ Wallace [1898] (1977), p. 240
- ^ Safdie, Barton, & Shetrit (1986), p. 115
- ^ a b United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Jerusalem and the Implementation of 21 C/Resolution 4/14, 31 May 1983
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-521-24377-7
- Hackett, Horatio Balch (1857). Illustrations of Scripture: Suggested by a Tour Through the Holy Land, Heath & Graves, 1857.
- ISBN 0-554-29711-6
- Kopp, Clemens [1962](1963). The Holy Places of the Gospels. Freiburg: Herder, Edinburgh and London: Nelson. Originally published in 1962 as Die Heiligen Statten der Evangelien (in German).
- ISBN 0-262-19247-0
- ISBN 0-405-10277-1
- Wallace, Edwin Sherman. Jerusalem the Holy, Ayer Publishing, 1977. ISBN 0-405-10298-4
31°46′49.22″N 35°14′10.35″E / 31.7803389°N 35.2362083°E