Archaeologists Believe They Have Found King David's "Waterway"
Most scholars believe David conquered Jebus (Jerusalem) through the water system, but one archaeologist believes the water system served to purify David's warriors, first among them his chief of staff, Joab, after the city had already been conquered.
(Israel)—The "gutter," or water system mentioned in the Bible as the way King David's men conquered Jerusalem may have been found, according to a new Haaretz report.
Archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar offers a "revolutionary interpretation" of the "gutter" mentioned in 2 Sam. 5:8. Mazar is quoted as saying that although most scholars believe David conquered Jebus, which later became known as the City of David, through the water system, she believes the water system served to purify David's warriors, first among them his chief of staff, Joab, after the city had already been conquered. (File Photo-Jerusalem)
Says reporter Nadav Shragai: "She [Mazar] says that purification was necessary because the Bible states they had to fight against the 'blind and the lame,' and in so doing would have become impure. She notes the use in the relevant verse of the Hebrew root naga (touch) in relation to the "gutter," a word usually involving matters of purity."
