Biblical Geography and HistoryKent, Charles Foster
History
Biblical Geography and History
Kent, Charles Foster
Bible -- Geography; Palestine -- History
=On the South.= From the Valley Gate to the Tyropœon Valley the wall
is built along the rapidly descending slope.^{(55)} The comparatively
few men assigned to this section indicated that it was practically
intact. Where it crossed the lower Tyropœon Valley it was flanked on
the outside with six buttresses, resting on a foundation wall about
twenty feet thick. The main street, leading down the Tyropœon Valley,
has been traced from the southern end of the city to a point opposite
the temple area. It varied from twenty-five to fifty feet in width and
was paved and provided with a curb. Where it ascended the hill there
were broad, low, rock-cut steps, adapted to use by beasts of burden as
well as by foot-passengers. Opposite the southern end of the present
temple area the main street branched eastward toward the Ephraim Gate.
On the east side of the Pool of Siloam were rock-cut steps, probably
the stairs referred to in Nehemiah 3:15 and 12:37, which led up to
Ophel. The King's Pool was in the extreme southeastern part of the
city, south of the Pool of Siloam, from which it received its waters,
but enclosed within the ancient city wall. To the north of this was
apparently the King's Garden.
=On the East.= Along the eastern side of Ophel the wall runs on the
brow of the steeply descending hill above the Virgin's Fount in the
Kidron Valley. There is no gate in this long section of the wall until
the tower is reached which is described in Nehemiah as the "Tower that
Stands Out." Just above this was the Water Gate, the most important
western exit from the city. From this the road led down into the
Kidron Valley and on to the Virgin's Fount, whose waters probably gave
the gate its name. This gate and the Horse Gate, a little farther to
the north, led into the official part of the city. Here on the upper
part of Ophel, to the south of the original temple area, were the
palace and armory. At the northeastern corner of the city was the
Gate of the Guard, where one of the companies that took part in the
dedication of the walls, in the days of Nehemiah, stopped before
entering the sanctuary. Here excavations have disclosed massive
masonry and the course of the original wall, which at this point turns
to the northwest. It follows the slope of the native rock, which
descends suddenly on the north to the ravine leading up from the
Kidron Valley. Inside the walls, between the Gate of the Guard and the
Sheep Gate, were the bazaars where the people could purchase those
things which were needful for their offerings.^{(112)}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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