Jerusalem's Forgotten Discovery

I came across a recent article from Nadav Shragai, “The Forgotten Discovery: A First Temple Era Water Cistern near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.” In 2012, a large water cistern was discovered near the southern corner of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount.  While cleaning drainage channels that extend from the Siloam Pool up to the southern wall of the Temple Mount, one of the crew members supervised by Archaeologist Eli Shukron noticed one of the floor tiles from the drainage channel wobbled.  After investigating they found a large water cistern below.  The cavity was chiseled out of the rock and coated with “brown-yellow plaster” that was used during the First Temple period.  Although many reservoirs have been discovered from the Second Temple period around the Temple Mount, this recent discovery was the first from such an early period so close to that location. 

Southwestern Corner of the Temple Mount (Summer 2018, LFL)

Mikvah (bath) near the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount (Summer 2018, LFL)

The underground reservoir dating back to the First Temple in Jerusalem found on the edge of the Temple Mount (Israel Antiquities Authority, Vladimir Neychin).