▁El itz ur ▁has ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁pool ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁sw imming ▁rather ▁than ▁rit ual ▁imm ersion . ▁ ▁The ▁pool ▁was ▁redis cover ed ▁during ▁an ▁exc av ation ▁work ▁for ▁a ▁se wer ▁in ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁by ▁Ir ▁David ▁Foundation ▁workers , ▁following ▁a ▁request ▁and ▁directions ▁given ▁by ▁arch ae olog ists ▁Eli ▁Sh uk ron ▁accompanied ▁by ▁Ori ▁Or bach ▁from ▁the ▁Israel ▁Nature ▁and ▁Park s ▁Author ity . ▁Arch ae olog ists ▁Eli ▁Sh uk ron ▁and ▁Ron ny ▁Reich ▁( working ▁with ▁the ▁Israel ▁Anti qu ities ▁Author ity ) ▁un cover ed ▁stone ▁steps , ▁and ▁it ▁became ▁obvious ▁that ▁these ▁steps ▁were ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Temple ▁period ▁pool . ▁Ex c av ations ▁comm enced ▁and ▁confirmed ▁the ▁initial ▁supp osition ; ▁the ▁find ▁was ▁formally ▁announced ▁on ▁August ▁ 9 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁and ▁received ▁substantial ▁international ▁media ▁attention . ▁The ▁exc av ations ▁also ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁pool ▁was ▁ 2 2 5 ▁feet ▁wide , ▁and ▁that ▁steps ▁existed ▁on ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁pool . ▁A ▁portion ▁of ▁this ▁pool ▁remains ▁un ex c av ated , ▁as ▁the ▁land ▁above ▁it ▁is ▁owned ▁by ▁a ▁nearby ▁Greek ▁Orth odox ▁church ▁and ▁is ▁occupied ▁by ▁an ▁orch ard ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁King ' s ▁Garden ▁( compare ▁). ▁The ▁pool ▁is ▁not ▁perfectly ▁rect angular , ▁but ▁a ▁soft