ii。12。Theseexcavationsandreservoirsmusthavebeenveryconsiderable。ThelatterfurnishedwaterduringthewholesiegeofJerusalemto1，100，000inhabitants，forwhomthefountainofSiloecouldnothavesufficed，andwhohadnofreshrain—water，thesiegehavingtakenplacefromthemonthofApriltothemonthofAugust，aperiodoftheyearduringwhichitrarelyrainsinJerusalem。Astotheexcavations，theyservedafter，andevenbefore，thereturnoftheJewsfromBabylon，tocontainnotonlymagazinesofoil，wine，andcorn，butalsothetreasureswhichwerelaidupintheTemple。Josephushasrelatedseveralincidentswhichshowtheirextent。WhenJerusalemwasonthepointofbeingtakenbyTitus，therebelchiefs，placingtheirlasthopesinthesevastsubterraneancavities，formedadesignofconcealingthemselvesthere，andremainingduringtheconflagrationofthecity，anduntiltheRomanshadretiredtoadistance。Thegreaterparthadnottimetoexecutetheirdesign；
butoneofthem，Simon，theSonofGioras，havingprovidedhimselfwithfood，andtoolstoexcavatetheearthdescendedintothisretreatwithsomecompanions:heremainedtheretillTitushadsetoutforRome:underthepressureoffamineheissuedforthonasuddenintheveryplacewheretheTemplehadstood，andappearedinthemidstoftheRomanguard。HewasseizedandcarriedtoRomeforthetriumph。HisappearancemadeitbesuspectedthatotherJewsmighthavechosenthesameasylum；
searchwasmade，andagreatnumberdiscovered。Joseph。deBell。
Jud。l。vii。c。2。ItisprobablethatthegreaterpartoftheseexcavationsweretheremainsofthetimeofSolomon，whenitwasthecustomtoworktoagreatextentunderground:nootherdatecanbeassignedtothem。TheJews，ontheirreturnfromthecaptivity，weretoopoortoundertakesuchworks；and，althoughHerod，onrebuildingtheTemple，madesomeexcavations，Joseph。
Ant。Jud。xv。11，vii。，thehastewithwhichthatbuildingwascompletedwillnotallowustosupposethattheybelongedtothatperiod。Somewereusedforsewersanddrains，othersservedtoconcealtheimmensetreasuresofwhichCrassus，ahundredandtwentyyearsbefore，plunderedtheJews，andwhichdoubtlesshadbeensincereplaced。TheTemplewasdestroyedA。C。70；theattemptofJuliantorebuildit，andthefactrelatedbyAmmianus，coincidewiththeyear363。Therehadthenelapsedbetweenthesetwoepochsanintervalofnear300years，duringwhichtheexcavations，chokedupwithruins，musthavebecomefullofinflammableair。TheworkmenemployedbyJulianastheyweredigging，arrivedattheexcavationsoftheTemple；theywouldtaketorchestoexplorethem；suddenflamesrepelledthosewhoapproached；explosionswereheard，andthesephenomenawererenewedeverytimethattheypenetratedintonewsubterraneanpassages。Thisexplanationisconfirmedbytherelationofaneventnearlysimilar，byJosephus。KingHerodhavingheardthatimmensetreasureshadbeenconcealedinthesepulchreofDavid，hedescendedintoitwithafewconfidentialpersons；hefoundinthefirstsubterraneanchamberonlyjewelsandpreciousstuffs: