The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

CHAP. XXVI. The Girdle of the City. Nehem. Chap. III. (Book 26)

THE beginning of the circumference was from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the sheep gate. That we suppose was seated on the South part, yet but little removed from that corner, which looks South East. Within was the Pool of Bethesda famous for healings.

Going forward on the South part was the Tower Meah: and beyond that the Tower of Hananeel: in the Chaldee Paraphrast it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Tower Piccus, Zech. XIV. 10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Piccus, Jer. XXXI. 38. I should suspect that to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Hippic Tower, were not that placed on the North side, this on the South. The words of Jeremy are well to be weighed, The City shall be built to the Lord from the Tower of Hananeel to the gate of the corner. And a line shall go out thence measuring near it to the Hill of Gareb, and it shall go about to Goah. And all the valley of dead carkasses, and of ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, even to the corner of the Horse gate on the East, shall be holiness to the Lord, &c.

:〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The hill of Gareb. Not that Gareb certainly, where the Idol of Micah was, concerning which the Talmudists thus, a 1.1 R. Nathan saith, from Gareb to Shiloh were three miles, and the smoke of the Altar was mixed with the smoke of Michahs Idol: but, as Lyranus not amiss, The Mount of Calvary.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Goathah; The Chaldee, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Calves Pool, following the Etymology of the word, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bellowing. Lyranus, Golgotha.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The valley of Carkasses and ashes. The Chaldee Paraphrast, and the Rabbines understand this of the place, where the army of the Assyrians perished: nor very subtilly. For they seem to have perished, if so be they perished near Jerusalem, in the valley of Tophet, or Ben-Hinnom, Esa. XXX. 33. And Jeremiah speaks of that val∣ley, namely the sink and burying place of the City, a place above all others that com∣passed the City the most foul and abominable: foretelling that that valley, which now was so detestable, should hereafter be clean, and taken into the compass of the City: but this mystically and in a more spiritual sense. Hence we argue, that the Tower of Hananeel was on the South side of the City: on which side also was the valley of Ben-Hinnom; yet bending also towards the East: as the valley of Kidron bent from the East also towards the North. It will be impossible, unless I am very much mistaken, if you

take the beginning of that circumference in Nehemiah from the corner looking North East, which some do, to interpret these words of Jeremiah in any plain or probable sense; unless you imagine that which is most false, that the valley of Hinnom was situate Northwardly.

Vers. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Seventy render it by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The fish gate. That was also Southward. Of it mention is made Zeph. I. 10. Where the Seventy have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ Something obscure. Many conjecture this gate was called the fish gate, because fish were carried into the City through it: I rather, because it was the fish market: as the sheep gate was the market for sheep. Zephaniah addeth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And he shall howl from the second. The Chaldee reads 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 R. Salo∣mon 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from the bird gate: perhaps the gate near unto which fowls were sold. Kimchi reads 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 From Ophel; more plain indeed, but I ask whether more true? This Bird-gate perhaps was that, which is called the Old-gate, Nehem. III. 6.

Near the corner looking South West we suppose the fountain of Siloam was; and that, partly being perswaded by the words of Josephus before alledged, partly being in∣duced to it by reason it self. For hence flowed that fountain by the South wall East∣wardly to the sheep-gate, as we suppose; thence the river somewhat sloping bends to∣wards the North into the valley, and ends at length in the Pool of Siloam at the foot of Mount Sion.

On the West was 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The gate of the valley, vers. 13. being now gotten to the foot of Mount Acra. And 2. A thousand Cubits thence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Esqui∣line or dung gate, vers. 14. And 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The fountain gate, vers. 15. not that of Si∣loam, nor of Draco; but another.

And now we are come to the Pool of Siloam, and to the foot of Sion, whether they went up by certain steps, vers. 15. The Pool of Siloam was first a fountain and a river on the West without the walls: but at last Manasseh the King inclosed all 2 Chron. XXXIII. 14. that the City might be more secured of water in case of a seige: taught it by the example of his grandfather Ezekiah, but more incommodious, 2 Chron. XXXII. 3.

The wall went forward along burying places of David, another Pool, and the House of the strong, vers. 16. And not much after it bended Eastwardly: and now we are come to the North side. See vers. 19. & 20.

At the turning of this corner Herod built the most famous Psephin Tower, of which Josephus thus, b 1.2 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. On the North West corner the admired Psephin Tower lifts up it self, near which Titus en∣camped, &c.

There was no gate on this North side. The buildings which were inward, are menti∣oned, Nehem. III. vers. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. and the Hippic Tower is mentioned by Jo∣sephus.

On the East were 1. A Tower advancing it self in the very bending of the North East corner. Within was the Kings house, and the Court of the Prison, vers. 25. 2. The water gate, of which is mention, Nehem. XII. 37. 3. Ophel, and the horse gate, Nehem. III. 27, 28. of which mention is also made, Jer. XXXI. 40. Whence was the be∣ginning of the valley of Ben-Hinnom: which running out below the City Southward, at last bent into the West. Therefore the water-gate led into the valley of Kidron: but the horse-gate into the valley of Hinnom, at that place touching on the valley of Kidron. 4. The gate Miphkad; The Vulgar calls it The gate of judgment. 5. Not far distant thence was the South East corner. And thence a little on the South side was the sheep∣gate, whence we first set out.

Let us add the words of Josephus describing how the outmost wall went. c 1.3 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. It began on the North at the Hippic (or Horse) Tower, and extended to the Xystus, (or Open Gallery;) then touching upon the Councel-house, it ended at the East walk of the Temple. On the other side Westwardly beginning from the same Tower, it stretched along by a place called Bethso, to the Gate of the Essenes; and thence it inclined to the South behind the fountain Siloam: and hence it bowed again Eastwardly unto Solomons Pool, and passed on to a certain place, which they call Ophla, and joyned to the East Walk of the Temple.

In which words let us observe two things for the asserting the Procession that we have gone. 1. That this description proceeds from the North to the West, the South, and the East. 2. That Ophla or Ophel, lay between the South East corner, and the porch of the Temple, which cannot at all be conceived, if you begin Nehemiahs delineation at any other place, then where we have. To these may be added the situation of Si∣loam, of which those things spoken in Josephus and the Scripture can in no manner be said, if you reckon it to be near Sion.

Let us add also the procession of the Choire, Nehem. XII. 31. They went up upon the wall, and went forward on the right hand to the dung-gate, the fountain-gate, the

City of David, &c. vers. 37. Let those words, They went forward on the right hand, vers. 31. be observed; which could not be, unless according to the procession, which we have laid down, if so be they went up on the wall on the inside of the wall, which it is rough and strange not to think.

The other part of the Choire went on the left hand towards the South West, and to the gate of Ephraim, and the old gate and the fish gate, &c. vers. 29. Of the gate of Ephraim nothing was said in the delineation given Chap. III. Mention also is made of it, 2 Kings XIV. 13. where the corner gate is also spoke of; concerning which also here is nothing said.

In Nehemiah seems to be understood that place where formerly was a gate of that name, but now under the second Temple was vanished.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Bab. Sanhedr. fol. 103. 2. See also Midr. Till. in Psal. 132. & Buxt. in Lexic. Talmud. in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• b 1.2

  Joseph. de Bell. lib. 5. cap. 13.
• c 1.3

  Joseph. in the place above.