Water systems: The Water Shaft of Hazor
The water system of Hazor dates to approximately the same time as that of Megiddo but is different in one respect. The Israelites sunk a shaft nearly 100 feet through the tel. But instead of building a tunnel to a water source outside the city, they built a stepped passageway that led 75 feet farther down into the bedrock below the city. Here the ancient engineers found the water table and fresh water within the city's walls. '
The people of the city descended into the shaft on stairs around the outside (probably without railings), some of which can be seen today on the far side of the shaft, worn smooth by the feet of thousands of nameless Israelites. If the stairs were wet, drawing water probably became a dangerous task, and one wonders how many injuries or fatalities occurred as a result.' The rock walls above kept the walls of the shaft from collapsing into the tunnel below.
