Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/359

 Domestic Architecture, 329 to, Sir C. Warren examined the Kedron passage which starts west of Bîr-Eyûb, following the direction of the valley, 1 with a cistern for receiving the outflow of the duct, and steps leading down to it. It is loftier and wider than the more important Siloam tunnel, a tall man being able to walk erect in it, but after a run of 600 m. it suddenly stops short. Whether this was an aqueduct or sewer to carry the refuse of the city as far out as possible, has not been ascertained. As gallery, cistern, and steps are all excavated in the solid rock, without inscription or special features, it is not easy to fix a date, except that the mode of construction points to Punic-Jewish excavators. Its mean height is 2 m., and its width averages from 1 m. 10 c. to 1 m. 20 c. We incline to think that the so-called pools of Solomon belong to a late period. No pass- ing allusion is to be found in the Bible as to water having been brought from a consider- able distance to Jerusalem under the kings ; whilst Josephus' statement that Pontius Pilate conveyed waters to the city over a space of 200 stadia, must be understood to mean that he repaired the aqueducts, thus increasing the volume of water, to which he may have added a more inland spring. 2 To have excavated the whole system of cisterns and the three channels on different levels, to collect the outflow of all the head sources found south of Bethlehem, distributing them in the various quarters of the city, would have been im- possible for one man alone, notably Pontius Pilate, whose reign was so often disturbed by the seditions of the Jews. The older work of the vaults or roofs, exhibits well-dressed stones like those at the gates of the haram enclosure, making it probable that these aqueducts were commenced by the Asmonseans, and completed by Herod or some Roman governor. Rock-hewn canals have been recognized in other parts of Palestine, as at Askar, near Shechem, and at Anîm, Lejjûn, etc. ; Fig. 221. — Transverse Sec- tion of Canal through A B. Quarterly State- ments, 1882, p. 123. 1 Recovery, pp. 257-264. 2 If we suppose the 400 stadia, specified a little further with regard to these aqueducts, to comprise the windings along the hills on to Jerusalem, the distance, far from being overstated, would be well within reality.