"But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left quickly and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it." 2 Samuel 17:18-19

The well (Heb. beer ) spoken of here was not a living fountain but simply a cistern. It was a resevoir dug in the courtyard, as is still done in many places today.

Such cisterns sometimes became dry. They made good hiding places for fugitives. The mouth of the cistern was level with the ground and could easily be covered by a mat or some other article. When grain was spread over this the cistern would be completely hidden.

Gail, that is so interesting and something with which I can relate.

Beside the house I have been remolding there is a ground leve spring-feed cistern. During years such as this it becomes dry. Over the years we have discussed filling it in many times, but is somewhat the same as the water-well which still has a working pump and the smoke house ... they just seem to belong here.

Guess this means I could hide someone in the cistern ... but they would have to be small and flexible!

Naomi