For more than a quarter century, BAR has been calling for the magnificent water tunnel at Tel Gezer to be cleared of nearly 3,000 years of debris.
In 1983 we wrote that Gezer, which, according to the Bible, was part of Solomon’s dowry (1 Kings 9:15–17), boasts of “an underground water system that rivals the water tunnels at Hazor and Megiddo, but needs to be cleared.”a
In 1994 we described “an extraordinary underground water system [at Gezer] that needs to be cleared.”b
Now it has been done—this past summer! Since 2006 Steven Ortiz of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has been leading a new excavation project at Tel Gezer with Sam Wolff of the Israel Antiquities Authority as codirector. As we wrote in our gala 200th issue last year, “We have been encouraging [Steve] to restore the fantastic water tunnel on the site.”c And now Dan Walker of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Tsvika Tsuk of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority have decided to do it!
Beginning at ground level, the water system first goes down a shaft for nearly 25 feet and then proceeds for about 140 feet ending in a large cavern that provides access to the water.
What have they found? What will they learn? Stay tuned.
