▁tra pe zo id . ▁There ▁are ▁three ▁sets ▁of ▁five ▁steps , ▁two ▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁platform , ▁before ▁the ▁bottom ▁is ▁reached , ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁steps ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁various ▁water ▁levels . ▁The ▁pool ▁is ▁stone - lined , ▁but ▁under ne ath , ▁there ▁is ▁evidence ▁of ▁an ▁earlier ▁version ▁that ▁was ▁merely ▁pl aster ed ▁( to ▁help ▁it ▁retain ▁water ). ▁Co ins ▁from ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Alexander ▁J ann ae us ▁were ▁found ▁embedded ▁in ▁the ▁pl aster ▁l ining ▁of ▁the ▁pool , ▁and ▁therefore ▁provide ▁a ▁secure ▁earliest ▁date ▁for ▁the ▁pool ' s ▁( re -) const ruction . ▁ ▁The ▁pool ▁was ▁destroyed ▁and ▁covered ▁after ▁the ▁First ▁Jewish – R oman ▁War ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 7 0 . ▁D ating ▁was ▁indicated ▁by ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁co ins ▁discovered ▁on ▁the ▁stones ▁of ▁the ▁pat io ▁near ▁the ▁pool ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁all ▁from ▁the ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Revol t . ▁The ▁latest ▁coin ▁is ▁dated ▁with ▁" 4 ▁years ▁to ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Revol t ", ▁meaning ▁the ▁year ▁ 6 9 . ▁In ▁the ▁years ▁following ▁the ▁destruction , ▁winter ▁ra ins ▁was hed ▁all u vi um ▁from ▁the ▁hills ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁valley ▁and ▁down ▁the ▁s lop es ▁of ▁Mount ▁Z ion ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁pool ; ▁the ▁pool ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁s ilt ▁layers ▁( up ▁to ▁ 4 ▁m ▁in