In an article on the Aqueducts of Qumran (DSD 14,2; 2007) I pointed out that the 'main' aqueduct could not have been built as a free-standing channel running through L's 116, 115, 114, 100 etc. as was understood by de Vaux. One implication of this is that much of the proposed dating for various buildings/pools etc in Qumran is wrong and that the 'main' aqueduct and the pools it feeds can date no earlier than 31 BCE. In a response to Magness' response I asked if she, "or anyone else, knew of a main aqueduct on a Hasmonean of Herodian site crossing an inhabited, built up area, standing proud of the floor and thus creating a considerable impediment, c. 60cm high and 1.50m wide, to movement around the site?" Without offering any such examples Magness merely made the unsubstantiated statement that "The walls of the main aqueduct apparently (my italics) did rise above the floors of some of the rooms at Qumran. This seems (again my italics) to be true mainly in the northwest sector....." which is wishful thinking on her part. To the best of my knowledge free standing aqueducts mainly ran across wide open spaces bringing water longish distances as those to Jerusalem, Jericho, Machaerus etc. Once within the settlement area water was distributed in sub-floor channels of which numerous examples were found in Jericho particularly in Area F. At Masada, even before the casemate walls were built and the site became more densely utilised, the channel feeding the large cistern 1907 was built sub-floor. I know of one very minor channel at Masada built above the floor but that hugs the walls and is not thus an impediment.
Can anyone point me to a major free-standing channel running across a built up area in the Hasmonean or Herodian periods either within their own territory or in that of their neighbours, e.g.the Nabateans? David A. Stacey
