138 PROF. HULL, LL.D., P.E.S., ON HOLY SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATED AND 



intermittent ciiaraoter, which is difficult to account for, 

 remains to the present day, as ilhistrated by the fact that 

 while Warren and Conder were groping their way up the 

 conduit in 1880, the water suddenly rose and so nearly filled 

 the conduit that the lives of the explorers were for some 

 moments in jeopardy. 



As regards the characters of the inscription, the internal 

 evidence of their approximate date is complete ; they are 

 clearly Phoenician or ancient HebreAv, most of the letters 

 being similar to those of the Moabifce Stone which, as we have 

 already seen, belong to the Phoenician group of highly archaic 

 forms. In the opinion of Professor Sayce, the letters of the 

 Siloam tablet belong to a period lyiiis: between the eighth 

 and sixth centuries B.C., the period within which the reign of 

 Hezekiah is included, and the letters correspond to those 

 on Jewish coins of this epoch. The evidence, therefore, 

 regarding the date from the character of the inscription 

 itself appears quite conclusive. 



But the evidence derived from a consideration of the topo- 

 graphical position of the conduit appears at first sight less 

 satisfactory. The idea is prevalent that the upper and lower 

 pools of Gihon are those to be found in the Valley of Hinnom, 

 which descends along the base of the western walls of the 

 city; and if this be the case, then the view of the officers of 

 the Ordnance Survey falls to the ground. So general is this 

 idea that I find in the excellent map of ancient Jerusalem 

 prepared by Messrs. W. and A. K. Johnston, in the Neio 

 Biblical Atlas (Pub. by the Religions Tract Society), that the 

 pools of Gihon are placed in this valley, the upper near its 

 head; the lower, about half way down where the well-known 

 artificial pool has been constrncted. Now the name " Gihon " 

 as I learn from Colonel Conder, signifies the ''spring" or 

 " bursting forth of water," a term which would be applicable 

 to the " Fountain of the Virgin," but certainly not to the 

 upper reservoir in the Valley of Hinnom, which has no spring 

 at all, and only receives the waters which collect from surface 

 drainage ; the date of its construction is uncertain, but (Jonder 

 doubts if it is older than Pilate's aqueduct. The '' LoAver 

 pool of Gihon " is known to have been constructed by the 

 German knights late in the twelfth centnry, so that it is out 

 of court at once ! As a matter of fact the " Fountain of the 

 Virgin" ('Ain Umm ed Deraj) is the only strong natural 

 spring about Jerusalem ; and it Avas a matter of policy that 

 Hezekiah should endeavour to deprive the army of the 



