In the days before indoor plumbing, the community well was more than just a source if water. The townfolk ritually came with their pails and jugs to draw water for drinking and cleansing; shepherds gathered with their sheep to give them a drink after grazing ; travelers watered their camels after traversing the desert for days. The well was a place of refreshment, social contact and neighborliness; a place for news, ideas and shared conversation. More than that, the well was a daily reminder that we all are nourished from the same source. The...