Every year during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, Jewish groups continue to perform the ancient ceremony of drawing water for service in the Temple. It is during this time that the rainy season begins in Israel. During the First and Second Temple periods, it was at this time of year that the priests performed the nissuch hamayim, the pouring out of water over the altar. Back then, the water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam and brought up to the Temple accompanied by the blowing of shofars. Today, pious Jews celebrate a symbolic representation of this ceremony known as Simchat Beit HaShoeivah, the festival of drawing water.

Picture: Close to the Pool of Siloam in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, Jewish men...