4436b—Pool of Siloam. Courtesy of John McRay. 4436c—Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Courtesy of John McRay. The excavations that were undertaken at the pool in 1896–1897 by the Palestine Exploration Fund traced thirty-four steps. The main part of this stairway was built of hard, well-jointed stones laid on a bed of stone chips and lime mortar, but the other portion of the stairs was cut from the natural rock, and the treads were “well-polished by foot wear.” The outline of the ancient pool showed it to be