Ancient Reservoir Unearthed in Israel

News July 20, 2017

(Assaf Peretz, IAA)
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Israel water reservoir
(Assaf Peretz, IAA)

ROSH HA-AYIN, ISRAEL—According to a report in the Times of Israel, a 2,700-year-old reservoir has been unearthed in central Israel. The reservoir measures more than 60 feet long and 12 feet deep, and was found cut into the rock under a large building. Its walls had been decorated with engraved images of human figures, crosses, and vegetation. Archaeologist Gilad Itach of the Israel Antiquities Authority said the reservoir would have been filled with rain water during the winter rainy season. Itach thinks the large structure and its water system may have been an administrative center for the surrounding farmsteads. To read more about archaeology in the region, go to “Expanding the Story.”

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