Old Pool
Old Pool is a body of water mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Jerusalem. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
The Old Pool, referenced in Isaiah 22:11, is an ancient water reservoir in Jerusalem that played a significant role in the city's water management system. The prophet Isaiah mentions it in the context of Judah's preparations against the Assyrian siege under Sennacherib around 701 BC. Isaiah rebukes the people for making "a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool" while failing to look to God who had planned these events long ago. The Old Pool is generally identified with a reservoir that predated Hezekiah's famous tunnel and the Pool of Siloam, serving as one of Jerusalem's earliest water storage systems. Its mention alongside defensive fortifications highlights the critical importance of water supply during ancient sieges. The prophetic context underscores a recurring biblical theme: trusting in human ingenuity and military preparations rather than relying on the Lord. Isaiah's critique was not of prudent planning itself but of the spiritual complacency that accompanied it, as the people turned to feasting rather than repentance in the face of divine judgment.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The Old Pool is generally identified with the Birket el-Hamra or an earlier reservoir system in Jerusalem's southern precincts, possibly near the junction of the Tyropoeon and Kidron Valleys. Some scholars associate it with the original Pool of Siloam that predated Hezekiah's tunnel construction. Excavations by Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron in the early 2000s near the City of David uncovered significant water infrastructure from the Iron Age, including channels and pools that may relate to this reservoir. The discovery of the Second Temple-period Pool of Siloam nearby has further illuminated Jerusalem's complex water systems. The precise location of the Old Pool remains debated among archaeologists.
Verse Appearances (1)
Isa
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
- Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Lawrence, D. et al. (2025) Villages to Empires: a settlement dataset for the Southern Levant. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]