Hezekiah's Tunnelby Rev. Raymond Parnell

It was Sunday afternoon and we were not supposed to be there, but through "special" arrangements we entered the Pool of Siloam, then Hezekiah's Tunnel. The water was deep, up to our knees and sometimes thigh deep. But with casual shirts, blue jeans, and shoes which could withstand the soaking, we waded further into the pitch-black tunnel, sometimes having to bend over to keep from bumping the ceiling. Flashlights served us well, otherwise we would have been like the proverbial bats -- blind! After we had sloshed deeper into the wet blackness, Brother Croucher suddenly said, "here it is". Excitedly I joined him and saw a large hole in the side of the tunnel. By pointing my flashlight upward I saw a large well shaft. The explanation was that in the distant past, David was so anxious to capture Jebus that he promised a promotion to the rank of General to anyone who could gain entrance into the city and capture it. Joab, David's cousin, perhaps as a young shepherd boy had heard rumors that such a secret passage existed. He found it, entered Hezekiah's Tunnel, crept to the well shaft, climbed up its sides and with his soldiers, captured the Jebusites. David called the city Jerusalem.

Now, here we were, a group of Pentecostals whose forefathers had been baptized with the Holy Ghost in that city in AD 33, examining that ancient site. I was ecstatic.

In II Kings 20:20, "Hezekiah made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city." That masterpiece of art, skill, and hard work, brought water from the Gihon Spring (now known as the Virgin's Fountain) into the safety of Jerusalem's walls. It was comparable to tunnels at Meggido and Gezer. Workmen began at both ends and with wedge, hammer, and pickaxes, cut through 1777 feet of solid stone 2710 years ago! For centuries the fresh water quenched the thirst of untold thousands of Israelites. It likewise was a blessing to a blind man whose eyes Jesus packed with mud. Obeying the Lord's instructions, he washed in the cool waters of Siloam and was instantly healed. Hezekiah's Tunnel has been a remarkable blessing!