“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
(Jeremiah 2:13 NIV)
A Brief Overview of Ancient Cisterns
Natural springs are scarce in Israel and part of the country is desert. The dry season lasts for five months, from May through September. Thus, in ancient times, it became vital to collect and store the rainwater which fell during the wet winter months.
Individual families dug cisterns in nearby rock and plastered the interior to make it waterproof. A heavy stone covered the surface hole to prevent dust, debris or insects from falling into the family’s private water supply. The stone cover also prevented accidents.
Two Questions
- Can you name two “broken cisterns” you’ve relied on in the past?
- Secondly, how are you now trusting on “the spring of living water” instead?
Please feel free to share my meme anywhere you wish. The image is from Pixabay.com.
Resources:
For more information about private and public city-wide cisterns in ancient times, click here.
To learn how a dandelion plant can thrive in very dry conditions, click on my previous post, The Dandelion’s Secret.
