Tuesday 20 February 2018

Bethlehem aquaduct






From Roman times, Jerusalem’s water supply has been piped to it from south of Bethlehem.  Solomon’s Pools [1] (the association with Solomon is a pious fabrication) is the main collecting point, at a higher elevation than the Temple mount in Jerusalem.  Until 1967, water travelled along a near by valley where the nineteenth century Hortus Conclusus Convent [2] is situated and greenhouses still appear well watered.  Individual sections of Roman pipework [3] can be found displayed and one section of the aqueduct is exposed in the newish Bethlehem Museum [4] and another off a side road near the separation wall [5].

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