When my wife and I visited the Holy Lands in 1992, we traveled in one day from the plain of Megiddo to Jerusalem. The tiered aqueduct is intact down most of the beach, and with a little fixing and patching could probably carry fresh water today. The aqueduct stands before the days of Jesus, when Caesarea was a Roman resort on the Mediterranean. Not far from the termination of the aqueduct stands an intact Roman amphitheater which still features plays and rock concerts today. It is because of the architectural innovation of the arch.
Arches distribute weight and energy across many stones that lean together.
Therefore, an arch can support greater weight and better buffer shocks. Prior to the invention of the arch, buildings were supported by pillars or plumb walls. Today, not much remains of pillared structures but a few little stalks sprouting from the ground. In fact, those who stand stalwart and tall all by themselves cannot withstand the stress and the shocks that life bears. Rather, when God calls us, he teaches us how to lean on Him and each other to distribute the weight and increase our strength.