Cistern 1

A picture of one of the cisterns, with staircase and banister, that was found under one of the houses at the southern foot of Tel Maresha that dates to the Hellenistic Period (ca 3rd-2nd centuries BC).

Each of the residential houses had a central courtyard surrounded by rooms and a second story.  Under the houses, cavities were carved for a variety of purposes: water storage (= cistern), baths, columbaria, oil presses, storage places, etc.  Each had its own staircase descending from the house above.  In later periods some of them were connected by tunnels.