The ancient water system turned Israel into a paradise

Scientists in Israel unearthed an ancient water system that was upgraded by the Persians into artistic works to turn the desert into a paradise.

Many researchers & volunteers are studying the life of Ramat Rachel - Israel ( Photo: Reuter)

The system consists of reservoirs, plumbing and underground tunnels to serve one of the largest palaces in the kingdom of Judea.

Scientists discovered the palace for the first time in 1954, stretching over an area of ​​2.4 hectares. Recent excavations have revealed a unique plumbing system of nearly 70 square meters.

"They found a magnificent palace, more beautiful than the palaces in Jerusalem from the end of the Iron Age to the end of the 7th century bible period," Oded Lipschits, archaeologist at the University of Tel Aviv said.

The palace's infrastructure has been edited over the centuries to fit the needs of the Babylonians, Persians, Romans and Hasmoneans, who once dominated the holy land.

The Persians, who gained regional control in 659 from the Babylonians, improved the water system and turned it into an art work. They have added small waterfalls to turn this place into a paradise.

"Imagine this dry land where trees and water flow everywhere," Lipschits said."This is very important for those who want to feel they are not in a remote corner of the desert."

Yuval Gadot, an archaeologist at Tel Aviv University, said experts still do not understand how the system works."It is possible that rainwater flows from the roof down through the water pipes that flow into the reservoir or into the underground tanks and is taken to the nearby fields supplied for crops or gardens."

For centuries, water supply has been one of the most pressing issues in the Middle East, where most of the region is desert.

MT