The Pools of Bethesda

The pools of Bethesda are described in the Gospel of John as a place where disabled people used to lie and hope to get better. Archaeologically speaking, one clue we might have could lead us towards an answer for this question. The two pools were divided by a solid wall that has a sluice gate between them. They're parallel in some regard to a mikvay or overflow pools so that when the water becomes too low, you can bring in extra pool from a reservoir without having to manipulate it.