Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, pools were significant both for their practical uses and their symbolic meanings. They served as essential sources of water for drinking, washing, and irrigation, especially in arid regions where water was scarce. Pools are mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible, highlighting their importance in daily life, religious practices, and as metaphors in spiritual teachings.
Old Testament References1.
Pool of Siloam: One of the most notable pools mentioned in the Old Testament is the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. Constructed during the reign of King Hezekiah, it was part of an impressive water system designed to secure the city's water supply during sieges. The pool is referenced in
Isaiah 8:6, "Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices in Rezin and the son of Remaliah," indicating its significance in the life of Jerusalem.
2.
Pool of Gibeon: Another significant pool is the Pool of Gibeon, mentioned in
2 Samuel 2:13. It was the site of a fierce battle between the forces of Joab and Abner, representing a place of conflict and resolution. The pool's strategic location made it a gathering point for military and political events.
3.
Pools of Heshbon: In
Song of Solomon 7:4, the pools of Heshbon are used metaphorically to describe the beauty of the beloved: "Your neck is like a tower of ivory; your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim." This poetic imagery underscores the pools' aesthetic and cultural value.
New Testament References1.
Pool of Bethesda: In the New Testament, the Pool of Bethesda is a site of healing, as described in
John 5:2-4. The pool, located near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, was believed to have healing properties when its waters were stirred. Jesus performed a miracle here, healing a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years, demonstrating His power and compassion.
2.
Pool of Siloam: The Pool of Siloam is also mentioned in the New Testament in the context of Jesus healing a man born blind. In
John 9:7, Jesus instructs the man, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). The man's obedience and subsequent healing serve as a testament to faith and the transformative power of Christ.
Symbolic SignificancePools in the Bible often symbolize spiritual cleansing and renewal. The act of washing in a pool can represent purification and the washing away of sin, as seen in the healing miracles of Jesus. Additionally, pools can symbolize abundance and divine provision, reflecting God's care for His people.
Cultural and Historical ContextIn ancient Israel, pools were vital for sustaining life and agriculture. They were often constructed to collect rainwater or fed by aqueducts and springs. The engineering of pools, such as those in Jerusalem, demonstrates the advanced understanding of water management in biblical times.
Overall, pools in the Bible are multifaceted, serving as practical resources, sites of divine intervention, and rich symbols of spiritual truths. Their presence in both the Old and New Testaments underscores their enduring significance in the biblical narrative.
ATS Bible Dictionary
PoolsSee CISTERNS.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Pools of Solomon
The name given to three large open cisterns at Etam, at the head of the Wady Urtas, having an average length of 400 feet by 220 in breadth, and 20 to 30 in depth. These pools derive their chief supply of water from a spring called "the sealed fountain," about 200 yards to the north-west of the upper pool, to which it is conveyed by a large subterranean passage. They are 150 feet distant from each other, and each pool is 20 feet lower than that above it, the conduits being so arranged that the lowest, which is the largest and finest of the three, is filled first, and then in succession the others. It has been estimated that these pools cover in all a space of about 7 acres, and are capable of containing three million gallons of water. They were, as is generally supposed, constructed in the days of Solomon. They are probably referred to in Ecclesiastes 2:6. On the fourth day after his victory over the Ammonites, etc., in the wilderness of Tekoa, Jehoshaphat assembled his army in the valley of Berachah ("blessing"), and there blessed the Lord. Berachah has been identified with the modern Bereikut, some 5 miles south of Wady Urtas, and hence the "valley of Berachah" may be this valley of pools, for the word means both "blessing" and "pools;" and it has been supposed, therefore, that this victory was celebrated beside Solomon's pools (2 Chronicles 20:26).
These pools were primarily designed to supply Jerusalem with water. From the lower pool an aqueduct has been traced conveying the water through Bethlehem and across the valley of Gihon, and along the west slope of the Tyropoeon valley, till it finds its way into the great cisterns underneath the temple hill. The water, however, from the pools reaches now only to Bethlehem. The aqueduct beyond this has been destroyed.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
POOLS OF SOLOMONpoolz.
SeeCISTERN;POOL.
SOLOMON, POOLS OF
SeePOOLS OF SOLOMON.
Strong's Hebrew
1295. berekah -- a pool, pond... Definition: pool. Word Origin from barak Definition a pool, pond NASB Word
Usage ponds (1), pool (15),
pools (1). fishpool. From barak
...98. agam -- a marsh, muddy pool
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition a marsh, muddy pool NASB Word Usage
marshes (1), ponds (1), pool (4),pools (2), swamps (1)....
Library
Thy Neck is as a Tower of ivory; Thine Eyes Like the Fish-Pools in...
... 4. Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, which
are in the gate of the daughter of the multitude; thy nose is as the tower...
Second Greek Form.
... And He madepools, and brought in the waters, and thepools were filled with water.
Then He says: It is my will that you become clear and excellent waters....
And it came to Pass, after Jesus had Returned Out of Egypt...
... And as He sat there, Jesus made to Himself sevenpools of clay, and to each of them
He made passages, through which at His command He brought water from the...
John at ??non.
... McGarvey, who visited the locality, says: "The much water we found all the way,
and although the season was exceptionally dry,pools well suited for baptizing...
The Church in Babylon
... When the tide rises it fills and unifies the scatteredpools on the beach.... I spoke
a moment ago about the separatepools on the beach, and the tide rising....
First Greek Form.
... 2. This child Jesus, when five years old, was playing in the ford of a mountain
stream; and He collected the flowing waters intopools, and made them clear...
Chapter vii
... Thy neck is as a tower of ivory, thine eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the
gate of Bathrabbim; thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looked toward...
May the Twenty-Sixth the Uniting of Sundered Peoples
... At "low tide" there are multitudes of separatedpools along the shore: at "high
tide" they flow together, and the little distinctions are lost in a splendid...
September.
... is turbid. The deeppools and still flats are always brown"always
dark"the mud lies in them, the trout sleep in them. When they...
Epistle Lix. To Secundinus, Bishop.
... VI. 22), the fontes being thepools of water (called also piscin?? and kolumbethra)
therein contained.... 41; VI. 46. [1512] Fonts were anciently sunkenpools....
Thesaurus
Pools (15 Occurrences)...Pools of Solomon.
... It has been estimated that these
pools cover in all a space of
about 7 acres, and are capable of containing three million gallons of water.
...Fish-pools (1 Occurrence)
Fish-pools. Fishpools, Fish-pools. Fish's . Easton's Bible Dictionary (Cant.
7:4) should be simply "pools," as in the Revised Version....
Reservoir (1 Occurrence)
... rare in Syria and Palestine, but the dry climate, which is one reason for the fewness
of lakes, impels the inhabitants to make artificialpools or reservoirs...
Pond (2 Occurrences)
... rare in Syria and Palestine, but the dry climate, which is one reason for the fewness
of lakes, impels the inhabitants to make artificialpools or reservoirs...
Irrigation
... For purposes of irrigation, water was raised from streams orpools by water-wheels,
or by a shaduf, commonly used on the banks of the Nile to the present day....
Aqueduct (4 Occurrences)
... sis'-tern: Use of Terms 1. General 2. Wells or Cylindrical Cisterns 3. Private Cisterns
4. Public Cisterns 5.Pools and Aqueducts 6. Figurative Uses LITERATURE...
Fishpools (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Cant. 7:4) should be simply "pools," as in the Revised
Version.... FISHPOOLS. fish'-pools: This is a mistranslation....
Cistern (21 Occurrences)
... sis'-tern: Use of Terms 1. General 2. Wells or Cylindrical Cisterns 3. Private Cisterns
4. Public Cisterns 5.Pools and Aqueducts 6. Figurative Uses LITERATURE...
Well (2882 Occurrences)
... sis'-tern: Use of Terms 1. General 2. Wells or Cylindrical Cisterns 3. Private Cisterns
4. Public Cisterns 5.Pools and Aqueducts 6. Figurative Uses LITERATURE...
Bittern (4 Occurrences)
... Version. But in the passages noted the kippod is associated with birds,
withpools of water, and with solitude and desolation. This...
Resources
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