Nota Bene-- C:\COURSES\ISRAEL~1\SILOAM.NB Job 1

Siloam Tunnel InscriptionTranslation in COS 2.28 pp. 145-146 . See UF 1994.Translation notes by Ralph W. KleinBiblical evidence2 Kings 20:20 The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah, all his power, how he made the pool and theconduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of theKings of Judah?2 Chronicles 32:3-4 3 he planned with his officers and his warriors to stop the flow of thesprings that were outside the city; and they helped him. 4 A great many people were gathered,and they stopped all the springs and the wadi that flowed through the land, saying, "Why shouldthe Assyrian kings come and find water in abundance?"2 Chronicles 32:3030This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon anddirected them down to the west side of the city of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.Isaiah 22:11 11 You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. Butyou did not look to him who did it, or have regard for him who planned it long ago.Sirach 48:1717Hezekiah fortified his city, and brought water into its midst; he tunneled therock with iron tools, and built cisterns for the water.day as ים vb. = pierce. noun = breakthrough, breach. We should probably insert the word נקב 1.the first word in the inscription. The inscription itself appears on the lower half of the preparedstone. Was there once a longer beginning intended that was never inscribed on the stone? Thisinscription appears six meters before the end of the tunnel.lit. the word of the break through, the manner of the break through, the record of the דבר נקבהbreak throughהחצבם מנפם read: The end of the line may haveword? BDB 345A. What is the form of this החצביםBDB 173b axe, pickaxe גרזן 2.Hiphil? נוף “wielding” participle from מנפםcompanion. his רעוBDB 52a אמתconst. Niph. inf. להנקבNotes on Siloam Tunnel Inscription by Ralph W. Klein Page 1PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com

נ ‏ׁשמע or וי ‏ׁשמע The next word might be readptc. Qal קרא 3.cavity. This noun may come from the verbal root znd = be narrow or fromUgaritic d[d זדהmeaning cavity, rtoo, tunnelBDB 849B צרBDB 969b and 411B מימן ומ ‏ׂשמאלcf. line 1 הנקבה 4.נכה הכוקרה infin. const. from לקרתהלך וילכוBDB 425B See 2 Chr 32:30 spring המוצא 5.BDB 140A הברכהpreposition. = ב dual! במאתיםBDB 147A ‏ֹּגַבּהNotes on Siloam Tunnel Inscription by Ralph W. Klein Page 2PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com