Siloam

Siloam, also spelled Shiloam in older English translations, is a biblical toponym associated with Jerusalem. The name derives from Hebrew Shiloah/Shiloam, often understood to mean “sent” and historically linked to Jerusalem’s water features.

The Pool of Siloam is the best-known reference. It was a water reservoir located at the southern edge of the ancient City of David in Jerusalem and was fed by water from the Gihon Spring via a channel cut by Hezekiah’s Tunnel in the late 8th century BCE. The pool served as part of Jerusalem’s water system and as a gathering place for ritual and daily activities. In the New Testament, the pool is mentioned in the Gospel of John as the site where Jesus heals a man who had been blind from birth after the man washes in its waters.

The Siloam inscription is another key element linked to the site. Discovered during excavations of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, this short Hebrew inscription dates to the late 8th century BCE and records the completion of the tunnel and the joining of its two axes. It is considered one of the oldest known Hebrew inscriptions and provides valuable context for understanding ancient Jerusalem’s engineering and administration.

In archaeology and biblical studies, Siloam is primarily discussed as a geographical and historical term tied to Jerusalem’s water system and related biblical narratives. The Pool of Siloam’s identification has informed studies of ancient Jerusalem’s infrastructure and its appearance in religious texts. The term can appear in various translations of scripture, reflecting its long-standing role in biblical geography.