Ancient Mysteries & Interpretations
A winding tunnel 533 m long carries the Gihon spring's water to the Siloam pool. An inscription found inside in 1880 describes the moment two teams of diggers met. It names no king; its script and the biblical texts make Hezekiah the most likely builder, but some studies have proposed other dates.
Tunnel and inscription: documented · Builder: Hezekiah (strongly supported, inferred)
"How he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city" (2 Kings 20:20).
"…while there were still three cubits to be cut, the voice of a man calling to his fellow… axe against axe… 1,200 cubits."
Cut out of the wall in 1890 and taken to Istanbul. The tunnel's S-shaped course is still debated (following a natural fissure, or avoiding royal tombs).
Scholarly reconstruction
Built before 701 BC as part of the preparations (2 Chronicles 32:2–4, 30).
Scholarly reconstruction
Some radiocarbon and paleographic studies proposed an earlier or later date.
Assessment: Minority views; the majority keep c. 700 BC.
The tunnel was most likely cut under Hezekiah, c. 705–701 BC.
What the evidence shows
Source: University of Michigan, Siloam inscription (image database) ↗