The Siloam inscription: Hebrew in a water tunnel

The Siloam inscription is an ancient Hebrew text from a water tunnel in Jerusalem. It describes the meeting of two groups cutting through the rock.

What does it record?

The six-line inscription tells the story of the tunnel breakthrough and the passage of water. It is commonly dated to the late eighth century BCE. The text focuses on the workers and their breakthrough. Source: Rendsburg and Schniedewind, The Siloam Tunnel Inscription (PDF).

How to start reading it

Use the photograph and transcription in the linked paper together. First choose a clear letter. Compare its strokes with the alphabet chart, then check the transcription. Compare the individual strokes on the stone.

Try a practice word

The modern Hebrew word מים (water) maps letter by letter to 𐤌𐤉𐤌. Practice reading the three letters: mem, yod, mem.

Use the converter to compare scripts. It maps modern Hebrew letters to Paleo-Hebrew.

Read further

The linked study discusses the inscription's language and setting. For another example of how language differs from script, read the Tel Dan guide.

Guide by Paleo Pro. Sources checked October 6, 2026.