COMPANION BIBLE. APPENDIX 59.  

THE TWELVE GATES OF JERUSALEM
(Nehemiah, chs. 3 and 12)1

  1. The Valley Gate (2:13; 3:13).  Cp. 2Chron. 26:9.

  2. The Gate of the Fountain (2:14; 3:15; 12:37), on Ophel at the Gihon spring (that mentioned in 2Kings 25:4.  Jer. 39:4).

  3. The Sheep Gate (3:1; 12:39).  North of the Temple.

  4. The Fish Gate (3:3; 12:39).  Cp. 2Chron. 33:14.  Zeph. 1:10.

  5. The Old Gate (3:6; 12:39).  Cp. 2Chron. 33:14, and 2Kings 22:14, "college".  Called also the "First Gate" (Zech. 14:10).

  6. The Dung Gate (2:14; 3:14; 12:31).  Probably same as Harsith Gate (Jer. 19:2); sometimes rendered the Gate of Potsherds, from heres, a potter's vessel. (N.B. Better = Pottery Gate)  Leading to Hinnom.  See Ap. 68 VIII, where the positions of the gates differ from the above and are more probably correct.

  7. The Water Gate (3:25, 26).

  8. The Horse Gate (3:28).  Cp. 2Kings 11:16.  2Chron. 23:15.  Jer. 31:40.  South-east of the Temple, and close to the city and house of David.

  9. The East Gate (3:29).  East of the Temple, and connected with it.

  10. The Gate of Miphkad (3:31).  Probably north-east of Temple.  ( = The Registry Gate.)

  11. The Gate of Ephraim (8:16; 12:39).  Cp. 2Chron. 25:23.

  12. The Prison Gate (12:39), or Gate of the Guard (2Kings 11:6, 19).




(*1) In Neh. 3. the first sixteen verses refer to Jerusalem, and the latter sixteen verses to Zion (or the city of David), south of Moriah.  A study of these, and a comparison with ch. 12, will explain most of the difficulties connected with the topography of the city.  See also the Plan of Zion, and Solomon's buildings.  Ap. 68, where the positions of the gates differ from the above and are more probably correct.


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