Siloam Inscription

Hebrew inscription commemorating the completion of Hezekiah's Tunnel.

Date

c. 701 BCE

Culture

Judahite

Material

Limestone

Dimensions

38 cm x 66 cm

Found at

Hezekiah's Tunnel, Jerusalem

Held by

Istanbul Archaeology Museum

Discovered by

Jacob Eliahu (1880)

inscriptionhebrewhezekiahwater

Description

A monumental Paleo-Hebrew inscription carved into the wall of Hezekiah's Tunnel beneath the City of David, describing the moment two teams of tunnelers, digging from opposite ends, met in the middle to secure Jerusalem's water supply.

Biblical significance

The inscription physically confirms 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32:30, which credit Hezekiah with bringing water into the city. It is one of the longest ancient Hebrew inscriptions known.

From the same era

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