Siloam

It has been only twenty years since the ancient Pool of Siloam was rediscovered. When the Roman army destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 CE, they hauled over the debris and filled the pool that was at foot of the Temple Mount with it. The Gospel of John (Ch.9) describes an incident where Jesus gives sight to an adult who was born blind. After spitting on the ground, Jesus makes clay and smears it on the eyes of the blind beggar and says to him: Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam. It is natural for us to think that he meant to wash his eyes. However, it is possible and probable that Jesus meant that he washed himself - or dipped himself. There are references here to the Old Testament. In the book of Genesis, God creates man by making clay out of the mud. The evangelist begins this narrative with the disciples asking whether his physical blindness was caused by his sin or that of his parents. This act of Jesus comes after declaring that his external blindness was not due to anyone's sin. In fact, the one who is blind on account of sin is the human being. In fact all of us. God makes clay out of the mud once again and puts it on this blind man. He then sends him to go and wash himself in the Pool of Siloam. Only three or four times do the Gospels write a word in Hebrew/Aramaic and then provide its meaning in a language we understand. Siloam meant "One who is sent" - 'Apostle'!

In those days pilgrims coming to the Temple of Jerusalem from faraway places used to go up the mountain to the Temple after dipping themselves in the Pool of Siloam at the foot of the Temple Mount. The man who was previously blind, was sent to wash himself (baptize) in the One who is Sent: Christ, arrives at the Temple. But the Pharisees judge him and also the one who healed him as sinners, and they throw him out of the synagogue. Now Jesus is seeking out the blind man who had been expelled from the synagogue. The question asked is, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The answer was a question, "Who is he so that I may believe?"

The One reveals himself: "I am." The narrative ends with the statement that the ex-blind-man worshipped Jesus.

In short, the process of the man, internally blinded by sin to become a new creation is begun by, the pilgrimage he is to make is asked by, and when he makes the pilgrimage he arrives at, he gets baptized/immersed in, and the One he worships: all the same One and only One!