Pools of Solomon

The Pools of Solomon are three large open reservoirs at Etam, at the head of the Wadi Artas, south of Bethlehem, traditionally attributed to Solomon's building projects (Eccl. 2:6). Each pool averages about 400 feet in length, 220 feet in width, and up to 30 feet in depth, arranged in terraces so that water flows from the uppermost to the lowest. Their primary water source is a spring called "the sealed fountain" (perhaps the site referenced in Song 4:12) about 200 yards above. Roman-era aqueducts connected them to Jerusalem's water supply. They remain one of the most significant ancient engineering works in the region.