Jerusalem - Warren's Shaft

In biblical times, the proximity of a water source was one of the most important criteria for determing the location of a settlement (Shiloh 1992: 275). Water systems ranged from the simple tunnels to complex aqueducts which ranged miles to reach water. In Jerusalem, the Gihon spring has been the sole source of water since the early Bronze Age. It is unique in that it is a pulsating spring and gushes water, instead of producing steadily flowing water. As a result, three water systems were developed in order to utilize this body of water: Warren's Shaft, the Siloam Channel and Hezekiah's Tunnel. Even though the construction of each water system was separated by a few centuries, they were not built as a replacement for the previous system. Instead, each water system complemented the others, as they served a different function during the eighth through the sixth century. The dates of the latter two systems are well-documented; the Siloam Channel is believed to have been built during Solomon's reign in the tenth or ninth century B.C.E., and Hezekiah's Tunnel was built in preparation for the attack by Sennacherib and the Assyrians in the late eighth century B.C.E. The Siloam Channel originates in the Gihon Spring, travels down the Kidron Valley and empties into the Siloam Pool. Hezekiah's Tunnel channels water away from the Gihon Spring into an underground tunnel beneath the city towards the Siloam Pool, on the opposite side of the city. Hezekiah's Tunnel and the Siloam Pool are still being used today. The water system which shall be discussed in detail is Warren's Shaft, which was named after Charles Warren who discovered it in 1867. Warren was a British officer who was exploring in Jerusalem under the Palestine Exploration Fund. He and his team found the shaft by entering Hezekiah's tunnel, which was well excavated more easily accessible, by way of the Gihon Spring. They climbed up through the vertical shaft using strategically placed boards (Shiloh 1981a: 30). The men then crawled through the shaft from the end to the beginning, laying boards as they traveled through the shaft. Shiloh and his men attempted the shaft over a century later. They would penetrate the tunnel by entering through the vertical shaft and also the entry tunnel and meeting at approximately the middle, as the passages were blocked with debris and thus prevented a one-way exploration. Warren's Shaft is, in general, similar to other underground water systems of the region. Determining the actual date of construction of the shaft is not as straightforward as that of Hezekiah's Tunnel. It is believed to have been created about the tenth century B.C.E. This system consists of several sections, is 69 meters long and descends 41 meters, as can be seen in the top view and the side view (Shiloh 1984:68-9). The entry chamber at the top of the shaft is carved from the rock, has a vaulted ceiling and connected to the vaulted chamber (Shiloh 1987: 215). The vaulted chamber then leads to the stepped tunnel (Shiloh 1984: plate 39). The stepped tunnel is 13 meters long and 2 meters wide, varies in height from 3 to 4 meters and has a depth of 12.7 meters (Shiloh 1984: plate 37; Shiloh 1987: 231). Next, there is a horizontal tunnel which is about 28 meters long and 2 to 2.3 meters wide, varies from 2 to 6 meters in height with a depth of 5 feet (Shiloh 1987:231). This tunnel ends in the vertical shaft which extends about 12 meters downward and ends at Hezekiah's Tunnel and the connecting tunnel which leads to the Gihon Spring (Shiloh 1987: 231). The connecting tunnel is 22 meters long and half a meter wide and varies in height from 1.6 to 2.4 meters. (Shiloh 1987: 231.) Other shafts present are natural formations were which were subsequently incorporated into the current water systems (Shiloh 1992, 284). However, the creation of this shaft was not so simple. The first shaft to be dug reached a hard impenetrable limestone strata, and tunneling was abandoned. The stepped and horizontal tunnels fortuitously intercepted the vertical shaft, which was already present. There was also an opening at the end of the horizontal tunnel which had to be closed as it was located outside the city wall as can be seen in the side view (Shiloh 1984: 69). The entry chamber and vaulted chamber of the shaft was built much later in approximately the first century B.C.E. This is known because it is of a barrel vault construction which was not used until the first century B.C.E. However, Warren's Shaft is no longer in use because a wall was built so that water was channeled into Hezekiah's Tunnel instead. The primary function of Warren's Shaft was to provide a means of obtaining water during times of war. It connected the northern part of the City of David to a protected water source. The other water sources are located outside the city walls. The entrance to Warren's Shaft is located behind the city wall as can be seen in the side view (Shiloh 1984: 69). People would enter the shaft and travel down the stepped and horizontal tunnels. When they reached the end of the horizontal shaft, buckets were lowered into the vertical shaft to draw up water. Therefore the inhabitants of the city could safely obtain water, without leaving the safety of the city wall. Later, Hezekiah would build his tunnel and construct the Siloam Pool within the city walls. Warren's Shaft was believed to be the means in which David conquered Jebus in 2 Samuel 5: 5-10 and 1 Chronicles 11:4-6 which does not mentioned the shaft and credits Joab, not David, with capturing the city. Kathleen Kenyon and John Gray are both of the opinion that Warren's Shaft is the sinnor mentioned in the Biblical stories. Kenyon believes that the shaft was accessible from the outside and also that the tunnel is Jebusite (Kenyon 1967: 22). Gray believes that, despite the vertical shaft, a man such as Joab would have been able to climb it in order to enter the City of David and let his comrades in. However, many have disagreed with these interpretations. Braslavi merely argues that the terminology of sinnor refers to a horizontal shaft, not a vertical one. He states that sinnor refers to a horizontal conduit and could not mean one perpendicular to it (Mazar 1975: 168). Aharoni also disagrees and mentions that there is no date given for the shaft; however, he does not provide any evidence for or against this argument. Others believe that the vertical shaft was the primary obstacle which would prevent Warren's Shaft from being breached. Shiloh believes that the vertical wall itself was enough to deter invaders, as it was 12 meters high (Shiloh 1981a: 38). He also mentions the steep step between the stepped and horizontal tunnels which would have prevented easy penetration into the city (Shiloh 1987: 216). Warren and his men, as well as Shiloh and his team, entered the shaft from the bottom. Even with modern technology and still much difficulty, only a few of Shiloh's group managed to reach the top of the vertical shaft. One can only imagine how difficult it would have been to climb in the tenth century B.C.E. Since David captured Jebus in 995 B.C.E., determining the actual date of Warren's Shaft would help in this debate over the identity of the sinnor. Kenyon already believes that this has been confirmed; however, other archaeologists are not yet convinced.