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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 edition. Excerpt:... polished by use, and are dressed with the chiselpick. This excavation was not undertaken till the day before the expiration of the permit, hence several points were left undecided. The trench down the steps was dug parallel to the scarped cliff, some 18 feet away, but I think it highly probable that they extended to the scarp. Their limit in the other direction was not ascertained, but we may safely assume their breadth to be 18 feet. The platform may be simply a break in the stairway which is pointing in a north-westerly direction to the flight of eight steps we found descending from the south to the courtyard in front of the original Pool of Siloam. The ancient approach to the pool from the southern end of Ophel appears thus to have been much the same as the modern one. It is unfortunate that time forbade our pulling up the steps to see whether rock-hewn steps underlie them. They occupy the place where it is reasonable to expect the "stairs that go down from the City of David." According to Nehemiah, in his account of the rebuilding of the walls, the section repaired by Shallun included the Fountain Gate, the wall of the pool, and extended as far as the "stairs," which would naturally be expected at a point near the wall. The excavated steps occur inside the city wall traced by us below the pool, near the corner where it turns up Ophel. See p. 158. CHAPTER V. THE CHURCH AT THE POOL OF SILOAM. General features--Details of excavation--Masonry--Mosaic floor--The arcade--The atrium--Difficulties of tunnelling--The choir--Altar stone--Reliquary--Indications of dome--Date of church--The Empress Eudocia--Antoninus Martyr--Restoration--Silence of later writers--Description by Antoninus--Approach to pool from...