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NATHAN STEINMEYER / BAS

FRESH WATER FOR ALL. At the point where the Lower Aqueduct once passed underground beneath the city’s low ridge, the flow served for many centuries as an important water source for Bethlehem’s residents. Enclosed within a recently restored medieval-era “fountain house” (above), this “spring,” known as Al-Ain, remained in use well into the 20th century. Here and at the northern end of the tunnel where the aqueduct emerged (the exact location is now lost), pools provided the city’s residents with ample and readily available sources of fresh water.