Is the spring in Mecca connected with the twelve springs in old writings?

No. The twelve springs belong to the time of Moses (as), when water burst forth from the rock for the tribes of Israel. The spring in Mecca, Zamzam, is much older and dates from the time of Abraham (as).

Old books sometimes claim that there are exactly twelve special freshwater springs in the world, spread over various countries. Without knowing the book itself, it is impossible to say what the author meant. Anything more would be guesswork.

Religious history does, however, know of a set of twelve springs. The first verse above tells that Moses (as) prayed for water for his people. He struck the rock with his staff, and twelve springs burst forth, one for each tribe. This water was vital for the Israelites in the desert. Perhaps a later author had these twelve springs in mind and, in his own interpretation, spread them across many lands.

The spring in Mecca is not one of them. It is much older and goes back to the time of Abraham (as), long before Moses (as) lived. Abraham (as) left his wife and the little Ishmael (as) in a valley without water and entrusted them to God, as the second verse above shows. The hadith above tells how the mother searched desperately for water and how water then came forth at the place of Zamzam.

In the time of Abraham (as) there was this one spring of which religious tradition speaks. The twelve springs of Moses (as) only came into being much later. That is why Zamzam cannot be one of them. It stands on its own, as a sign that God does not abandon those who trust in Him.