Where Jesus Healed the Blind Man

June 16th, 2023

Greetings from Alyssa Glander with Reasons for Hope! Today, I want to share another biblical archaeology find! You may be familiar with this one, but it always excites me to think that one of our readers could be a newbie to biblical archaeology!

Today’s topic is the discovery of the Siloam Pool! Or, as some of you may know as the place where Jesus healed the blind man.

“The Siloam Pool has long been considered a sacred Christian site, even if the correct identification of the site itself was uncertain. According to the Gospel of John, it was at the Siloam Pool where Jesus healed the blind man (John 9:1–11).

Traditionally, the Christian site of the Siloam Pool was the pool and church that were built by the Byzantine empress Eudocia (c. 400–460 A.D.) to commemorate the miracle recounted in the New Testament. However, the exact location of the original pool as it existed during the time of Jesus remained a mystery until June 2004.

During construction work to repair a large water pipe south of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, at the southern end of the ridge known as the City of David, archaeologists Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron identified two ancient stone steps. Further excavation revealed that they were part of a monumental pool from the Second Temple period, the period in which Jesus lived.”[1]

[1] https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/the-siloam-pool-where-jesus-healed-the-blind-man/ )

First and foremost, I’d like to remind you that it is just like our God to continually show up with evidence to support what we see in Scripture (i.e., so many archaeological finds that confirm what God reveals to us in His Word). The second point I’d like to make is about what I read in John―that “Siloam” means “Sent.” (This idea is mind-blowing!)

We already know that the healing of the blind man was done in an unorthodox manner: Jesus fashioned some mud or clay out of dirt and spit (i.e., saliva), covered the man’s eyes, then told the man to wash in the Pool of Siloam.

After Jesus gives the man instructions, John, in his Gospel account, goes out of his way to point out that the pool’s name means "Sent."

John 9:7

…and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So, he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

This clarification is noteworthy since John doesn't explain every name of each location in his Gospel. It struck me as curious that he would point this one out, and I can’t help but wonder about “sent'” having a bit of wordplay going on here! “Sent” reminds the reader that Jesus is “sent” by the Father and that the blind man was “sent” by Jesus! And similar to so many other things we see in Scripture, Jesus chose this location purposefully for healing and as a declaration of who He was.

In a scriptural context, restoring sight to the blind was a MASSIVE deal, but healing the blind wasn't just a miracle but a STATEMENT―one that should have left no doubt about the true identity of Jesus. Recovering sight for the blind was a miracle meant to mark out the Messiah amongst other prophets―almost as if it is explicitly reserved for God. This is especially highlighted by the fact that not one time in the Old Testament or New Testament was this miracle performed by another. It was always and only God! This harbinger for the Messiah was prophesied in passages such as :

Isaiah 35:5–6

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy….

When Jesus made the blind see, He was fulfilling another prophecy of what it meant to be the Messiah. Not only did this miracle fulfill an essential Messianic prophecy from Isaiah, but it also affirmed Jesus’ deity unequivocally! We can confidently make this claim because of other scriptural claims, such as what the psalmist said.

Psalm 146:8

The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.

Throughout the entire narrative of this miracle, all attention is concentrated on Jesus Himself―the Light of the world, who was “sent of God” to open blind eyes.

Because there are layers and layers to this subject, we could easily extend this blog to discuss why the waters of the Pool of Siloam were used in the golden pitchers by the high priest during Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles) or delve into the imagery and purpose behind why Christ used mud or clay! The lessons and profound teaching around this one archaeological find just keep going!

My point―using biblical archaeological finds as points of discussion―is to show that through historical accounts such as this one, it is clear that the Word is alive, continually breathing into our lives as we grow with God. I pray that the Lord will use this fascinating narrative to instill a new wonder and love for the truth of His Word.

And if any of you ever get to visit the Pool of Siloam, please let me know!

Author Bio:
My name is Alyssa Glander! I have been walking with the Lord since I was about 17, and He has shouldered me all the way!! I am a content and social media manager at Reasons For Hope and the youngest member of the team! I've been happily married to my amazing husband Marc for about four years now, and we reside in Georgia with our certifiably insane (but sweet) Boston Terrier, Axel!