Solomon’s Pool is a beautiful tourist destination located on the southern part of central West Bank in the southwest direction of Bethlehem. It was established earlier in the 950B.C. when it was the time of Prophet Solomon. This ultimate destination is located in the Al-Khadr village that is on the way from Bethlehem to Hebron. There are so many amazing things to know about this location. If you are planning to visit the Bethlehem region, don’t miss the opportunity to explore this beautiful pool.
Excellent Architectural Value:
The pool is primarily divided into three cisterns that are named as lower pool, middle pool, and upper pool. These three open cisterns are designed in rectilinear shape and form a 6-meters drop between one-another. The initial point is fed with an underground spring. Studies reveal that each one of these pools is 100 meters long with 10 meters deep and 65 meters wide structure. The maximum water capacity of this huge pool is somewhere around 200,000,000 liters. It is important to mention that these pools played an important role in maintaining water supply in the area from the past several centuries. The pools were basically named behind a Biblical Solomon that connects the legend of Solomon who used gardens and waters as Ecclesiastes. The overall length of the pool is 177 meters and even today as well; it is providing supply to the Bethlehem community.
Few other studies say that the lowest pool of this site was probably designed in the Maccabean period, right when the Jerusalem temple was constructed. The second phase of development was carried later when the Roman Pontius Pilate designed a 39 kilometers aqueduct by following the rules of Arab. Roman Engineering.
Legacy and history:
As per the phrases are written in the Bible, it is said that Solomon, designed these pools for his wives as they were not allowed to visit the rivers for ‘Purdah’ tradition. The pools were filled with rainwater and underground springs. Jerusalem ruler Herod also used water from these pools to fill the cisterns that were designed to supply water to the entire capital, including Jerusalem and Herodium as well. He used 80 kilometers long aqueducts to divert water to different places. Some archaeologists also say that Herod was the person who made pools famous in the world.
These this pool, tourists also report the remains of Qal’at al Burak that is basically a castle of pools and is widely famous as Qal’at Murad. Note that this castle was designed by Turkish Sultan Murad during the 17th century to ensure perfect protection to the sources of water. The pool and castle today as well are surrounded by the beautiful cypress trees and grove of pine. Although the beauty of Solomon’s Pools has faded with time, the site is still a famous tourist destination that serves millions of people every year. It is now famous as a national museum that has more than 2400 antiquities. It is one of the most pleasurable sites for a memorable tour of Bethlehem.