The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-17
THE POOL OF SLOAN.
Some Results of Recent Excavations at
Jerusalem.
(From Public Opinion.)

The excavations which are being made
was hitherto unknown about the Pool
Of Sloan. The Identification of the
site of this pool is important because of
it's rearing on the situation of the city
walls 1t has hitherto been considered
that the Pool Of Sloan, shown to every
undisputed localities in the topography
of the sacred city. Now, however, as in
vestlgation progresses, doubts have been
raised on this point. Among archeolo-
gisus contest has arisen as complicated
as that concerning the site Of Calvary.
the sepulcher and other sacred places in
Jerusalem. The Pool of Sloan is in size
the least of all the Jerusalem pools,
which from the most ancient times have
been relied upon by the Inhabitants to
store up water from the springs. 1t
had, however, the singular characterls-
tic of suddenly increasing in depth as
the water poured in from some unkn own
source.
The Pool of Sloan, although small in
size, played an important part in the
sacred history of Jerusalem. 1t was to
Sloan that the Levite was sent with the
golden picther on the last and great day
of the least" of tabernacles; it was from
Sloan that he brought the water which
was then poured over the sacrifoein men,
DRY of the water from the rock Of Rephi-
dim. 1t was to this Sloan that the Lord
pointed when he stood in the temple and
cried, "If any man thirst, let him come
unto me and drink" The Lord sent the
blild man to wash at the pool of Sloan.
the saoredness and efficacy of whose wat
ers are still believed in at Jerusalem.
The Pool of Sloan, which has now been.
| almost wholly uncovered, and which is
the one formerly shown to visitors, Is
1917 feet in depth, IA feet wide at one end
| maintained at depth of three to four
feet, but is likely to rise foot or more
at any moment. Tt Ia faced with wall
| of stone, now greatly out Of repair.
| Several columns stand out of the side
walls extending from the top downward
into the cistern. The water passes out of
| the pool through channel cut in the
rock, which is covered for short dis
| tance. This subsequently opens and dis
closes lively, copious stream which
empties into a garden planted with fig
IL ees. Jerome, who lived only six miles
from the pool Of Sloan, refers to the in
termittent character of it's waters, which
has led some historians to identify ii
with Bethesda. Josephus speaks of its
waters as having been very abundant.
but resent Investigations do not bear
| this oct.
There are large number Of somewhat
similar pools in Jerusalem, which has sc
or 40 natural springs within a radius
of eight miles. If it could be shown that
one of these was in reality the pool of
| Sloan, whose location has not hitherto
| been questioned. it would add still
further confusing element to the discus
sion Of the historical sites in Jerusalem.
Mary of the most important places de-
pend for their naturalization upon their
nearness to or remoteness from the pool
of Siloam. The mysterious ehb and flow
of the waters of the present pool has been
largely relied upon as sufficiently proving
| it's identity with that referred to In the
! Scriptures. 1t has now, however, been
found that similar phenomenon takes
place in the Fountain Of the Virgin,
which is close by. There the water rose
foot in five minutes, and within five
minutes more it sank to its former level.
1t is believed that the excavations which
are being made in Jerusalem may ex-
plain this apparent mystery, which no
body has yet been able to account for.