Back in the year, 701 BCE, the Assyrians were about to lay siege to the city of Jerusalem. King Hezekiah, who ruled Jerusalem at that time, had to come up with a plan to maintain enough water for the residents of the city, as well as deny the invaders access to this much needed resource. So, Hezekiah decided to re-route the Upper Gihon spring by way of a tunnel - which would be over 500 yards long. To excavate the tunnel, the king had two crews working at opposite ends and they met in the middle. That would be no easy task! Apparently, there are chisel marks, plaster, and zigzags near the halfway mark. But, those clever Ancient Israelis got the job done.
To access the tunnel, you start at a place called "Warren's Shaft". You descend a set of stairs and start wallking. The tunnel ends up at a place called "Shiloah Pool". They say it takes about 40 minutes to walk the entire tunnel and you must be prepared to get wet. At the beginning of the tunnel the water is knee-high, but by the end it can reach as high as your waist. Water shoes are highly recommended.
Obviously, this is an activity that is best done in the summer. Even though the spring waters are a constant temperature all year, the outside air is going to make it VERY COLD in the Winter. So, I will make a note to do this towards the end of my trip - on the warmest day possible. I hope it won't be too cold to do it in March, cause this looks very fun to do.
