2,000-year-old Temple Mount aqueduct unearthed in Jerusalem

Archaeologists uncover part of massive aqueduct which supplied water to the Temple Mount from the Bethlehem area during the Second Temple era.

By World Israel News Staff

A 300-meter-long (984-foot) section of an ancient aqueduct that supplied water to Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago has been uncovered during archaeological excavations near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Sunday.

The aqueduct, originally constructed during the Hasmonean period, was discovered south of Ramat Rachel during excavations conducted ahead of the construction of a new residential neighborhood by the Israel Land Authority.

Known as Jerusalem’s Lower Aqueduct, the ancient water system transported spring water from the Gush Etzion area through Solomon’s Pools, south of Bethlehem, to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

“The Lower Aqueduct was an impressive engineering project, probably built in the time of the Hasmonean kings to supply water to Jerusalem,” said Dr. Benyamin Storchan and Gil Freid, who directed the excavations on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“The system was so well planned that it remained in intermittent use until about 100 years ago,” they added.

The aqueduct extended approximately 21 kilometers from Solomon’s Pools to Jerusalem, using a carefully calculated gradient that allowed water to flow entirely by gravity, without pumps or mechanical equipment.

Along most of its route, the channel descended by just one meter per kilometer, requiring its ancient builders to carefully adapt the waterway to the surrounding hillsides and bedrock. Maintenance access points were also incorporated into the system to allow workers to remove blockages and clean the channel.

The newly uncovered section reveals several stages of construction and renovation spanning centuries.

Originally, water flowed through a plastered stone channel. Approximately 500 years ago, during the Ottoman period, ceramic pipes were installed inside the existing waterway.

The aqueduct’s exterior was also replastered, with small stones embedded in the wet plaster to create a distinctive surface.

According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, the repeated modifications demonstrate the importance of the aqueduct to Jerusalem’s water supply over many generations.

“The aqueduct is an engineering marvel. Even today, with all our modern technology, building such a system would require extensive planning and effort,” said Dr. Amit Re’em, the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Jerusalem District Archaeologist.

“The thought that about 2,000 years ago they managed to bring water to Jerusalem this way is astonishing, and we want the public to be able to appreciate this achievement up close.”

The Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Land Authority plan to preserve the newly discovered section and incorporate it into the main entrance of the future neighborhood, where it will be accessible to the public.

Re’em said the antiquities authority is also working with the Jerusalem Municipality and other partners on a broader initiative to establish a continuous archaeological park along the aqueduct’s route from southern Jerusalem to the Old City.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu welcomed the discovery, saying it reflected the Hasmonean rulers’ efforts to expand Jerusalem’s infrastructure to accommodate the city’s growing population and the pilgrims visiting the Temple.

The findings, along with new research into the ancient water system, are scheduled to be presented this week at the annual “New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and Its Region” conference.

archaeologyIsraeli archaeologyJerusalem archaeologyTemple Mount