Places & biblical world
Cistern
A dug or rock-cut reservoir that stored rainwater for dry seasons.
Also called · pit · water reservoir
What it means
Cisterns were often plastered to reduce leakage and differed from springs or wells supplied by flowing groundwater.
When empty they could become hiding places or prisons, while cracked cisterns symbolized failed security.
How it appears in the Bible
Joseph and Jeremiah are cast into cisterns, and Jeremiah contrasts broken reservoirs with living water.
Translation note
The same ancient word can be translated “pit” when water storage is not central.