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Figures are relevant tracing of tunnel diagram taken from Jerusalem- An archaeological Biography,
Hershel Shanks, Random House,1995, p.91 ISBN 0-679-44526-9
2
See The Historical Books 1st and 2nd Chronicles ,Marie S. Burns; Author House Publishers; 2005,
ISBN 1-4208-3673-0 (sc)
3
See The Quest, Leen Ritmeyer, carta , Jerusalem, 2006; p. 171, ISBN 965-220-628-8
using much longer lengths of string and then anchored the string with rocks or sand
so as not to move. They started digging while people hammered the ground next to
the covered string (see Ayreh Shimron4).
3. Another set of strings, actual measuring cords were laid out from either ends inside
the tunnel as the two excavations moved forward until they met at the designated
meeting point.
Now that we have the basic ideas, we can go into the details.
(see Fig.1)- The genesis of the pattern was found in that the linear distance from a point to
the west of Warrens Shaft which became the start of the tunnel labeled (4), to a point very
close to or even exactly on a natural sinkhole (10) was almost the linear distance of 600
cubits. (In fact extending the line a short distance eastward to the point labeled (d) would
make the line exactly 600 cubits. This extension was later blocked up.)
[Measuring distances of natural features also was used on the Temple Mount, and also I can
show, (but beyond the scope of this paper) that the mind who conceived this design also
worked on the Temple Mount located nearby. I can show that a similar hand worked on the
inner temple sacred square and inner temple courts which might date from the same time as
Hezekiahs Tunnel.]
This line first laid upon the surface of the ground but later transferred underground in the
tunnel I call Line 1.
On the surface of the ground a measuring line was then laid from the purposed tunnels
southern exit point (g) to the previous sinkhole (10) site. This was Line 2. The distance of
Line 2 was then laid out along Line 1 from point (4). The end of this second line was at a
point marked on the ground and shown as point (7). This was the most important point of the
pattern and was marked underground in the tunnel by a special shaped nichea so called
false tunnel.
A similar laid line on the surface I call Line 3- runs from point labeled (11) (Here at a later
date an inscription describing the tunnels length was written upon the wall), the start of
tunneling by the southern team at the spot the tunnel veered off from the line of a natural
crack on the ceiling of a cave to the point on Line 1 labeled (7).
The ratio of Line 3 / segment of Line 1 from points (4) to (7) is 1.612 which is very close to
the Golden Mean [1.618033989]. This number is also very close to the ratio of 8/5 or 1.6.
Then the following is true: 8 parts (Line 3) /5 parts (segment of Line 1 from points (4) to
(7) is 1.6. Reading my paper on the construction of the Holy temple built to the north, you
will discover the entire temple could have been laid out utilizing a triangle of 8:8:5 which
also has a ratio of 1.6. So the two most important lines for the construction of the tunnel,
have the same ratio for building the temple. Also, any measurements taken off of naturel
caves were similar to measurements taken off of natural features such as caves on the temple
site (detailed in my paper). This might imply the tunnel and the 500 Cubit square of the
temple were surveyed about the age of King Hezekiahs rule.
From reading my paper on the temple, you will discover the same division of a line into 8
parts being the sum of 5 parts and 3 parts can be seen today in the northern edge of the
4
Journal of Archeological Science, Tunnel Engineering in the Iron Age:
Geomorphology of the Siloam Tunnel, Jerusalem, Amos Romkin, Ayreh Shimron, Vol.
33, Issue 2, Feb. 2006, PP. 227-237.
2
The date of the Siloam Reconsidered, Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University,
volume 38,nuber 2,November 2011, pp. 147-157
Figure 1 top. Lines and landmarks shown. see text for discussions.
Figure 2 below. tunnel shown red and black dots. see text for discussions.
5
As stated previously I have defined three important landmarks in the design of the tunnel:
points (9), (8), (7) cut by the southern team, which were on made on bends close to the
meeting point labeled (6). Point (9) was on the bend of Line 3. Point (8) was on the bend of
Line 1, and Point (7) was the only point common to both Lines 3 and 1. Each of these
landmarks where marked by carving out niches under these three points. Thus if you were to
stand in a niche, you would be standing under the string or cord snaking on the ground
overhead at key locations of the two main lines creating the design. The smooth finishing on
these niches were necessary not because of appearances (they do represent sacred geometric
locations), and certainly not because of mistakes in tunneling. They cannot be mistakes since
these three locations are not randomly placed.
They might also been created in the fine tuning of distances within the tunnel for example
the depth of the niche might add some additional measure to a longer measuring cord adding
possibly a handbreadth to make the niche the depth of a Royal Cubit etc. If so the niches
would have to be finely squared as two actually were. Niche at point (8) was not cut square
as may be expected since it appears to be cut in a unique fashion having only one side cut
square. This niche was unique as being common to both Lines 3 and 1.
(see Fig. 3)- No niche bends inward on itself as diagramed in the right hand illustration.
They bend outward or straight ahead at the bend which would be expected if the measuring
cord was laid without bending backwards. The curve diagramed on the left shows how the
cord would look if laid on the floor without the kink. All three niches are as shown in the left
hand illustration. The length of the measuring cord in cubits would be distance X (black line)
and the longer length of some Royal Cubit or some number of handbreadths would lengthen
the cord by a distance Y (black and red dotted line).
The ceiling rises slowly beginning at point (10) and very noticeably at the southern end.
The southern end was a natural cave which would account for the high ceiling, but
Since they knew the completed length of the tunnel to be 1200 cubits and the difference
in height from tunnel end to end (they had an earlier channel of the same heights) they
could determine when starting at each end the correct slope of the floor which cannot be
done if they did not know the tunnels length beforehand. The grade is 1 in 7 falling about
1.8 meters from Gahon Spring at the northern end to the pool at the southern end. They
must have used two oil levels with lines drawn at the correct slope.
(see Fig. 4)- The walls of the tunnel have a lip below the ceiling then a scalloping below
on the left wall while the right wall is flat (illustration A). ). Other sections of the tunnel
have the scalloping on the right wall but not the left (illustration B). Some sections have
scalloping on both walls (illustration C). At the southern end either little or no scalloping
or else the scalloping is on the lower portion of the wall (illustration D). The tunnel men
may have created the straight edge side closest to where they laid the measuring cord
(shown as a dot) otherwise the cord was placed in the center of the passage.
The teams could not reach the meeting point in three dimensional space without having the
tunnels course first laid out above ground. They could not randomly tunnel to frantically
reach this location in the hillside. Also they would know in advance the length of the tunnel
and then might possibly be able to know in advance if at this distance excavators could work
for such a distance without fresh air. All the mathematical and geometrical evidence
presented that the tunneling was deliberate is hard to refute.