Archeologists said Tuesday they have uncovered a 14th-century aqueduct that supplied water to Jerusalem for almost 600 years along a route dating back to the first century — but unlike most such finds, this time the experts knew exactly where to look. Photographs from the late 19th century showed the aqueduct in use by the city's Ottoman rulers, nearly 600 years after its construction in 1320. The photo shows an inscription dating back to the aqueduct's early days. It was uncovered during repairs to the city's modern-day water system. The team has found two of nine arched sections of a bridge about nine feet (three meters) tall on the west side of Jerusalem's Old City, said Yehiel Zelinger, the archeologist in charge of the excavation. Though archeologists knew the aqueduct was there, the find represents the first time they have had a glimpse of the intricate bridge system used for centuries to combat gravity and shuttle water from faraway sources, Zelinger said.
