Abstract
Near the Cave of the Patriarchs, there is a large pool known as the Sultan's Pool. This pool was an important source of water for the residents of Hebron. A Muslim tradition has attributed the construction of the pool to the Mamluk Sultan Qalāwūn, dating it to the end of the 13th century. However, the chipping on the edge of the stones of the pool's walls, the smoothed lug, a number of decorations found for the first time on the pool's walls, and an overall examination of the pool's components suggests that the pool should be dated to the Crusader period. The pool conveys openness, supporting the idea that Frankish society maintained reciprocal relations with its environment and did not remain closed behind fortress walls. The water reservoir built by Sultan Qalāwūn approximately 130 years later must be sought elsewhere. In the Jewish and Christian tradition, this pool is the biblical "Pool of David." In accordance with the new findings, the article's author does not rule out the possibility that the biblical Pool of David is indeed located in this place; however, only an archaeological excavation in the pool itself may provide an answer as to its origins.
Published Version
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