The Fountain Gate is located at the Southern end of the Old Wall. It is not far from the Spring of Siloah (Siloam), the Kings Pool, and the Kings Garden. (Nehemiah 2:14; 3:15; 12:37). The Kings Garden is the burial place for the kings. (2 Kings 21:18, 26) Each gate points to what is located near it to point us toward its inheritance. Some scholars believe it is named for the fountain Gihon which is called “The Fountain of Yaweh, The Fountain of Israel, The Fountain of Life, The Fountain of The Steps.”

In Nehemiah Chapter one, when he heard that the wall of Jerusalem  was broken down and its gates were burned, he wept in repentance with fasting and prayer asking God to remember His covenant promises to Israel and to restore the city. In His mind the restoration of the wall meant the restoration of the city and its inheritance, along with redeeming it from defilement and sin brought by the enemy. (Neh 1:4-11; 2:14, 17).
Speaking of a future time Zechariah foretells of The Fountain as a sign of restoration, “On that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and the inhabitance of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” (Zechariah 13:1)

Nehemiah went by night to observe the broken down condition of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. He then moved directly to the Fountain Gate. (Nehemiah 2:14). It is time to move to the Fountain Gate to seek God for the restoration of His covenant promises to restore Israel. It is time to pray for the Holy Land to become Holy again.

Application of the Fountain Gate:

Scripture uses the Fountain Gate and the Pool Siloah or Shiloam to point to the Messianic blessing of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the believer. This application is seen in the Feast of Tabernacles in a special ceremony called the rite of “The Water-drawing.” Jewish tradition states that this ceremony took place each of the 7 days of the Feast. One historian referring to the ceremony states, “He who has not seen the joy of the water-drawing has not seen joy in his whole life time.” (Sukk 5:1) This ceremony is the setting of what Jesus says in John 7:37-39, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive.”

Water-drawing ceremony described:

At the break of the day during the Feast of Tabernacles the priests processed from the temple to the pool of Siloam (through the Fountain Gate area). They filled a golden pitcher with water and bore it back to the temple. Three joyous trumpet blasts were given as they entered the courts related to Isaiah 12:3 “with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

The Priests proceeded around the altar with the water from the pool of Siloam while the choir sang Psalms 118. This ceremony took place at the time of the daily drink offering of wine so the water was offered to God with the wine. A Priest mounted the altar on which stood two silver bowls, one for the wine and the other for the water. When the priest had poured the wine and the water into the bowls, they were then poured out together as offerings to God. The wine and the water were united. (This may point to the blood mixed with water that flowed from Jesus’ side on the cross). At this moment when the offerings were poured out, the crowd called out, “Lift up your hand” showing the ceremony was fulfilled properly. The priest then raised his hand in agreement.

This ceremony was connected in thought to the water that came from the rock smitten by Moses in the desert which gave life to the people who were in danger of dying of thirst. (Exodus 17:1-6). It is believed that at the moment the priest raised his hand to conclude the ceremony, Jesus stood up at that solemn moment and made the announcement, “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers (fountains) of living water..” (John 7:27-39). When Jesus uttered this Messianic fulfillment to this ceremony, it was like a thunder clap in the midst of the silence falling upon the ears of all. For seven days they had watched this ceremony carried out as water was brought from the pool of Siloah (Siloam) through the area of the Fountain Gate. They now were presented with the Messianic application. Living water was to be released from the Messiah through the promised Holy Spirit creating a Fountain Gate in all would come to drink from him. It was at the pool of Siloam that Jesus spat upon some dirt and applied it to a man’s eyes and told him to go wash it off in the pool of Siloam. His eyes were then opened and his inheritance restored. (John 9:1-39).