Author
Documents from the Sharia Court in Jerusalem indicate that Murad, the Armenian Christian, was appointed to a position
Author Original
تشير وثائق المحكمة الشرعية في القدس إلى تعيين مراد النصراني الأرمني في وظيفة
Publication Date
The construction of the first and second pools dates back to the second half of the first century BC, and the third lower pool dates back to the years 865-872 / 1461-1467.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;pa;Mon01;22;ar
Library Location
It is located 3 km southwest of the city of Bethlehem, on the side of the Old Jerusalem-Hebron Road, Bethlehem, Palestine
Date
The construction of the first and second pools dates back to the second half of the first century BC, and the third lower pool dates back to the years 865-872 / 1461-1467.
Notes
Solomon's Pools consist of three adjacent pools, arranged so that the first pool empties into the second, and the second into the third, from which two channels branch. The length of the first pond is 116 metres, its maximum width is approximately 72 metres, its depth ranges between 6 and 12 metres, and its capacity is approximately 85,000 cubic metres. The length of the central pond is 129 m, its width is 76 m, its depth is about 12 m, and its capacity is about 90,000 cubic metres. As for the third, lower (Mamluk) pool, it is the largest and most spacious of the three pools, with a length of 177 m and a maximum width of 86 m. Its depth is about 15 m, and its capacity reaches about 113,000 cubic metres. Thus, the capacity of the three ponds exceeds a quarter of a million cubic metres. These ponds provided the city of Jerusalem - which had always suffered from a water shortage - with the water necessary for drinking, domestic use, and ablution. Rainwater falling in the ponds area was collected, and spring water spread in the region was also directed to the ponds through a complex water system that extended more than 70 km in length. The ponds' water flowed into Jerusalem due to the height of the ponds area and the exploitation of the slopes and valleys. The canal moved in a zigzag line, extending twice the direct geographic distance between the city of Jerusalem and Al-Barak, and its length reached 22 km. The Ottoman authorities obligated the leaders of the villages through which the canal passed to protect this vital water system from attacks. In 1027/1618, Sultan Osman II (ruled 1027-1032 / 1618-1622) established a fortified castle a few meters north of the first pool.
Sample Text
Yusuf al-Natsheh “The Pools of Solomon” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pa;Mon01;22;ar
