Ancient Biblical Waterworks Found in One of the "Grandest Palaces" in Judea

Corinne Heller/TN : Aug 23, 2006
Reuters

Reuters reports that archaeologists in Ramat Rachel, Israel, have unearthed an ancient water system, which was modified by the conquering Persians to turn the desert into a paradise, adding that the network of reservoirs, drain pipes and underground tunnels served one of the grandest palaces in the biblical kingdom of Judea.

"They had found a huge palace . . . even nicer than the palaces in Jerusalem, [dating] from the late Iron Age to the end of the biblical period in the 7th century," said Oded Lipschits, a Tel Aviv University archaeologist, noting that the Persians renovated the existing water system, adding small waterfalls to turn the desert into a paradise.

"Imagine on this land plants and water rushing and streaming here," Lipschits said. "This was important to someone who finds aesthetics important, for someone who wanted to feel as though they are not just in some remote corner in the desert."

The report contends that for centuries water supplies have been one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East, where most of the region is desert.