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Nehemiah 2:14-15 (ANIV)
14 Then I moved on towards the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and re-entered through the Valley Gate.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Verse 12 tells us Nehemiah went out at night.

LIGHTING NOTES:
There are two sources of light in this scene. The first is the full moon which gives a cool, blue hue to the landscape. The second is a warm, yellow/orange light coming from the two torches Nehemiah’s companions are carrying.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
From left to right: Donkey, 2 un-named companions, Nehemiah son of Hacaliah.

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This scene shows Nehemiah turning round, with his hands raised, telling his companions that there is not enough room for his donkey to get through (see verse 14). I imaging there was so much rubble on the ground, that the party couldn’t proceed any further. As verse 15 states, Nehemiah turned round & re-entered Jerusalem via the Valley Gate through which he had used earlier in the evening.

I have used the same colouring as in previous images, to maintain continuity between them.

Notice the full moon is reflected in the pool in the bottom right of the image.

Here’s the scene without the figures or donkey included.

Background of Nehemiah 02 – Nehemiah inspects Jerusalem’s walls – Scene 04 – Too much rubble by pool

Click on the colour bar below to view/buy this Background:
Background of Nehemiah 02 – Nehemiah Jerusalem’s walls – Scene 04 – Too much rubble by pool

Here’s the rough pencil sketch I drew for this scene.

Nehemiah 02 – Nehemiah inspects Jerusalem’s walls – Scene 04 – Too much rubble by pool

Notice that I didn’t include Nehemiah’s torch-carrying companions in the rough sketch, but (as in the previous scenes) I decided to add them into the final version of the picture.

What and where was the King’s Pool?
The term “King’s Pool” is referenced in Nehemiah 2:14, where Nehemiah inspects the walls of Jerusalem before inspirimg the Jews to rebuild them. The King’s Pool is likely to have been to the south western side of the city of Jerusalem, probably associated with the various water systems that were crucial for the city’s survival and prosperity. Although there is some scholarly debate regarding the exact location of this pool, it is often linked to the Pool of Siloam or other significant water reservoirs in and around the city. The various pools mentioned in the Bible played a vital role in the daily life of Jerusalem’s inhabitants, most especially in times of conflict/war/invasion/siege, as these water sources were essential for the city dweller’s welfare and survival.

The mention of the King’s Pool in Nehemiah’s nocturnal wall assessment highlights the importance of water resources in Jerusalem and the need to secure them as part of the wall restoration effort.

An important focus of the many and various archaeological studies in Jerusalem have been to identify the precise location and nature of the various pools mentioned in the Bible, including the King’s Pool. These studies provide valuable insights into the engineering and urban planning of ancient Jerusalem, thus illustrating the complexity and sophistication of its water management systems.

The rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls can symbolize the restoration of God’s people and their return to covenant faithfulness, after their dramatic and painful exile. Nehemiah’s strong leadership and dogged determination came from a heart fully turned and in tune with God’s own desire to guide his chosen people to re-establishing the city of Jerusalem as a centre of worship and community for the Jewish people.