The archaeologists excavating the Pool of Siloam have finally published their long-awaited findings, revealing that they discovered a monumental dam wall dating to between 805 and 795 BC, during the reign of Joash (Jehoash), king of Judah. A 69-foot (21-meter) section of the wall was exposed; it once stood 40 feet (12 m) high and more than 26 feet (8 m) wide. The wall was dated through carbon-14 tests done on two pieces of uncharred straw and a sample of charred twigs that were embedded in the wall. The results showed that the wall was constructed between 805 and 795 BC. The authors of this study cited a recent analysis dating the Gihon Spring fortifications to this same period. They also cite climate data obtained from Dead Sea core samples and stalagmites in the Soreq Cave near Beit Shemesh, which indicate that this was a period of aridity with occasional flash floods. The authors of the study conclude, “The ruling establishment of Judah, led in around 800 BC by King Jehoash or his successor Amaziah, provided a solution to the unpredictable weather conditions and water shortage by building the Siloam Pool dam, both for catching the rainwater and storing the water surplus brought by Channel II.” In the Bible, King Joash is known to have engaged in another massive building endeavor—namely, his renovations to the Temple (2 Kgs 12:4–16; 2 Chr 24:4–14).
Source: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2510396122
