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1–32. Nehemiah's restoration of the walls of Jerusalem and a list of persons who worked on this matter. Chapter III book Nehemiah, describing the construction of the so-called. the second wall of Jerusalem and naming many places in it, is extremely important for studying the topography of the holy. cities during the biblical period. But, unfortunately, the instructions in the chapter under consideration are not always clear. Equally, those ideas about the topography of ancient Jerusalem that are compiled on the basis of other evidence and especially on the basis of excavations are not solid in all points. Wilson's research in the southwest. hill, Warren's excavations near the church square, Gute - on the Ophel, the Russian Palestine Society in the north-west. side of the ancient city, by the works of the English Palest. The society and the many years of work of the architect Schick have clarified many controversial issues related to the location of Jerusalem. But still, many problems remain in this area. As a result of this, and also due to the incompleteness of the text of Chapter III. Nehemiah and its probable damage, the topographical indications of the chapter are not understood in the same way by all researchers, and some individual points of the Nehemiah wall, named in the place in question, can only be indicated tentatively. Description of the wall in Chapter 3. begins with the Sheep Gate, which lay on the north side, not far from the north-east. corner of the church square. Further, individual points of the wall are noted in the western direction (mea and Hananela towers, Fish Gates, Old Gates), which were all located on the north side. Turning to the southwest, the wall, as can be seen from the subsequent description, approached the old (Solomon's) northern wall, with which it came into contact, probably near the present Tower of David, identified with the Furnace Tower mentioned in Nehemiah. From here the wall ran straight south to south-west. extremities of the southwest hill and headed along its edges. Near the said extremity there was the Valley Gate, and to the east of it, to the southeast. corner of the mentioned hill is the Dung Gate. On the south side of the city, crossing the Tiropeon valley, the wall approached the southeast. hill, at the southern end of which there was probably a fountain gate. From this point it turned north and walked parallel to the Kidron Valley. In this (eastern) part of the wall, to the southeast of the church, there was, apparently, the Horse Gate. Having reached the north-east. corner of the church square near the coal house (v. 31), the wall curved to the west and approached the Sheep Gate, not far from the corner. To carry out the work, the space of the wall, as can be seen, was divided into 42 sections, which were not of the same size and, obviously, were consistent with the amount of work on the wall. The plots were dismantled by individuals, clans, partnerships and communities (residents of the same area). According to Schick, a double wall was built in some places. Hence, found in Art. Notes 11, 19, 24: “in the second section”, Schick understands as indicating an external wall. To clarify Ch. 3. the extensive literature on the topography of Jerusalem is important, see Theologian. Encyclop. vol. VI, p. 443–484 (Jerusalem); prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, Jerusalem and its environs (Holy Land, part 1), Kyiv 1875; He also addresses the issue of the 1883 excavations in Russian. place in Jerusalem. A concise but thorough review of the latest research as applied to the guidelines in Chapter 3. Nehemiah introduced in Rissel's comment. Nehemiah 3:1. And Eliashib the high priest, and his brethren the priests, rose up, and built the Sheep Gate: they hallowed it, and set in the doors thereof, and from the tower of Meah they hallowed it unto the tower of Hananel. Mentioned in Art. 1 The high priest Eliashib was the son of Jehoiakim and the grandson of Zerubbabel's contemporary Jesus (cf. Neh. 12:10). Already from the fact that the high priest and his brothers built the Sheep Gate (schaar hazzon), we can conclude that this gate was located near the church. This conclusion is confirmed by the passage (Neh. 12:39). The name was given to the gate either because flocks of sheep needed for food and sacrifices were driven into the city through them, or because not far from it there was a market for sheep. According to many indications, the Sheep Gate was located approximately on the site of the gate, which is now called by Christians the Gate of Stephen (since, according to legend, the first martyr Stephen was stoned not far from it), or the Gate of Mary (as leading to the Kidron Valley or the Valley of Mary), and by other residents the Dragon Gate. “And from the tower of Meah they sanctified them unto the tower of Hananel.” The idea, not entirely clearly expressed in the text, seems to be this: they built a wall up to the tower of Meah, which they consecrated, and then built from the tower of Meah to the tower of Hananel. The consecration of the latter is not mentioned, probably because its construction was not the responsibility of the priests. The name of the tower of Meah, mentioned back in (Neh. 12:39), probably came from the fact that it had something to do with the number 100 - perhaps it was 100 cubits in height, or could accommodate 100 people. The Tower of Hananel is mentioned back in (Neh. 12:39; Jer. 31:38; Zech. 14:10). According to these instructions, the tower formed the city's coal point, opposite the so-called. “coal gate”, and was an outstanding point precisely in the northeast. parts of the wall. The tower got its name, one might think, from the name of the builder. Nehemiah 3:2. And the people of Jericho built next to him, and Zakhur son of Imri built next to them. Nehemiah 3:3. The Fish Gates were built by the natives of Senai: they covered them, and put in their doors, their locks and their bolts. "The Fish Gate was built by the natives of Senai". The gate received its name either from its proximity to the fish market, where the Tyrians traded in sea fish (cf. Neh. 12:39, 13:16; 2 Chron. 33:14; Zeph. 1:10) or from the fact that there was fish in the pond located not far from them. The gate was located on the north side of the wall, west of the tower of Hananel, at a distance of two sections built according to Art. 2 Jericho and Zakhur. Nehemiah 3:4. Beside them, Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkotz, was repairing the wall; Beside them Meshullam the son of Berehiah, the son of Meshizabel, was repairing; Zadok, the son of Baanah, was repairing next to them; Mentioned in Art. 4 Maremoth the son of Hakkotz, as seen in v. 21, also worked on another section of the wall. - Meshullam, son of Berechiah, according to (Neh. 6:18), belonged to a very prominent family in Jerusalem and, according to Herzfeld (Geschichte Isr. I, 384), was then the head of the descendants of David (1 Chron. 3:19). Nehemiah 3:5. The Tekoites were repairing next to them; however, the noblest of them did not bend their necks to work for their Lord. The avoidance of the Tekoites across the river from working “for the Lord” may have depended on the fact that the southern regions of Judea were subordinated to the rulers of neighboring tribes (like Tobiah the Ammonite and Gashmu the Arabian) and were restrained by them from participating in the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 3:6. Joiada the son of Paseach, and Meshullam the son of Besodiah repaired the old gate: they covered it, and put in their doors, and their locks, and their bolts. The old gate was repaired by Joiada the son of Paseach and Meshullam the son of Besodiah. The name of the gate “old” probably came from the fact that it led to the old part of the city or to the part located to the west of the church. According to (Neh. 12:39) these gates lay between the gates of Ephraim and between the Fish Gates, i.e. on the north side of the city. Nehemiah 3:7. Next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon from Meronoth, with the inhabitants of Gibeon and Mitzpah, subject to the governor of the region beyond the river. Mentioned in Art. 7 The builders were from a place not far from Jerusalem, in the region of the tribe of Benjamin. "Gabaon", present-day Ed-Jib, at 2.5 o'clock. path northwest of Jerusalem. “Mitzfah” is the current Nebi-Samuel at a distance of 3 4 miles to the north. As for “Meronoth”, its position is unknown. Probably it was some small place near Mitzfah, which is why some of the inhabitants of the latter worked under the command of a Meronophite. - “With the inhabitants of Gibeon and Mitzfah, subject (Lekisse) to the regional governor beyond the river.” End of verse in Russian t. translated presumably, since the meaning of the original is unclear. According to Osiander, Kperik, Rissel, the expression indicates that the named participants in the work did not belong to the region of Judea subject to Nehemiah, but to Syria, and therefore their participation in the work was completely voluntary. Other exegetes (Ewald, Keil, Gute), based on the evidence of ancient translations, kisse (in Russian t. “subordinate”) is understood in the sense of the name of the official home or place of presence of the Syrian satrap (cf. LXX: ἑως θρόνου τοῦ ἂρχοντος, sire. “throne”, glor.: “even to the throne of the prince [who was] about half the river”) and therefore they see in the expression under consideration an indication of the point of the wall, up to which the work of the Gibeonites and the inhabitants of Mitzpah continued. Schick even believes that he discovered this point of the Jerusalem wall (Zeif. D. Pal. Ver. 1885, 279). According to prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, in the article in question. We are talking about the ancient court seat of Jerusalem at the old gate, which also served as a place of trial for the Persian satraps and their officials. A. A. Olesnitsky indicates the place of the “throne” where the Russian building is located (Excavations 27–29). According to Schultz, the controversial words of Heb. The texts should be conveyed: “on behalf of the representative of the authority of the regional governor” and contain an indication that the inhabitants of Gibeon and Mitzpah were sent by the regional governor in fulfillment of the royal command brought by Nehemiah to assist the Jews. Due to the difficulty of interpreting the passage, Siegfried believes that his text is damaged. Nehemiah 3:8. Next to him Uzziel the son of Hargaiah, the silversmith, was mending, and next to him Hananiah the son of Harakkahim was mending. And they restored Jerusalem to the broad wall. Uzziel and Hananiah are named, of course, as representatives of the group that worked under their leadership. "And they restored (vajjazbu) Jerusalem to the broad wall". The meaning of the Hebrew vajjzabu (Russian "restored") is unclear, since the meaning of the verb is unknown. In the LXX it is rendered καὶ κατέλιπον, in the Vulg. dimiserunt ler, “and they left” Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 6:12). This translation is accepted by some exegetes and understand the expression (“left Jerusalem”) as an indication that the builders of the wall, due to the small population of the city, did not capture the entire former area, namely they did not wall off the part of the city that extended to the “broad wall” (Rissell). According to Schultz, the expression "left Jerusalem" means that the builders who erected the wall near the houses at this point retreated from them and led the wall in the direction of the "broad wall", which is well preserved. But the accepted understanding of the verb asab in the sense of restore, repair has more defenders among exegetes. In related languages ​​the verb is actually used in the sense of a construction term (Bertholeth, S. 54). – Up to the wide wall, that is. to the remainder of the post-captivity wall (Solomon), which is called wide either because it had a greater extent than the post-captivity wall, or because of its special thickness. It is believed that in Art. 8 of course, actually that part of the wall that is located between the current Tower of David and the ancient gates of Ephraim (cf. Nehemiah 12:38–39). This is the same part of the wall that, according to testimony (2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chronicles 25:23), was destroyed for 400 cubits by the Israeli king Joash and then was restored by Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:9); Jude Ancient IX, 10, 3. Nehemiah 3:9. Beside them, Rephaiah the son of Hur, the commander of the semi-district of Jerusalem, was repairing. “Head of the semi-district of Jerusalem”, i.e. region, which, according to the introduced division of the country, belonged to Jerusalem. Nehemiah 3:10. Beside them and opposite his house was Jedaiah the son of Harumath repairing, and next to him Hattushu the son of Hashabniah was repairing. Mentioned in Art. 10 the name Hattusha is found back in (1 Chron. 3:22; cf. 1 Ezra 8:2; Neh. 10:4). Nehemiah 3:11. In the second section Malchiah the son of Harim and Hashshuv the son of Pahath-Moab repaired; They also repaired the Pechnaya tower. "On the second site", heb. midda schenith, slav.: "and near them" . It is not clear what the writer calls the “second section”. Berto understands schenith in a different sense and sees an indication that the persons named in Article 11 worked in two sections (cf. Articles 19, 21, 24, 27, 30). Keil considers the above words to be an indication of the second section of the above-mentioned part of the wall. The latter understanding is apparently more natural. Mentioned in Article 11 The Furnace Tower, as can be seen from (Neh. 12:38–39), was located between the Ephraim Gate and the Valley Gate. It can be assumed that the Furnace Tower formed the northwestern gate or was very close to it (2 Chron. 26:9). Nehemiah 3:12. Beside them, Shallum the son of Gallochesh, the commander of the semi-district of Jerusalem, was repairing, he and his daughters. “Next to them Shallum was repairing... and his daughters” (ubenotha). The words: “and his daughters” are understood by many researchers (Schultz, Rissel) as a figurative reference to the inhabitants of the villages that were part of the Jerusalem semi-district, headed by Shallum. But nothing prevents us from understanding the above words in the literal sense. Nehemiah 3:13. The gates of the Valley were repaired by Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah: they built them, and put in their doors, their locks and their bolts, and they also repaired the wall a thousand cubits to the gate of the Dung. “The gates of the Valley were repaired by Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah,” by which one can mean the present Zanua, Ismail, at a distance of three Germans. miles from Jerusalem. “And they also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall up to the Dung Gate.” The words “still being repaired” are not in the original, and they represent the translators’ guess. It is not clear from the text whether the length of the wall built by the inhabitants of Zanov is indicated in this place (which would be too large), or whether a part of the wall is indicated (between the Valley and Dung gates) that did not require repair (Rissel), or, finally, the amount of breaks that needed to be repaired in the existing wall (Shik). The dung gate, or purulent gate, located 1000 cubits south of the Valley gate, led to the present Lower Pond, Birket es-Sultan. The gate probably got its name from the fact that city manure was transported through it. According to Schick, the name was given to the gate because it led to the area of ​​​​Tophet, which was considered unclean. Nehemiah 3:14. And Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Bethkarem, repaired the Gate of Dung: he built it and set in its doors, its locks and its bolts. “Malchiah the son of Rechab repaired the dung gate,” perhaps a Rechabite. Although, according to (Jer. 35:5–7), the Rechabites were forbidden to build houses, but, of course, only for themselves. - Beth-Karem (cf. Jer. 6:1), whose district commander was Malchiah, is identified with Mount Frank, southeast of Bethlehem. Nehemiah 3:15. The Gate of the Source was repaired by Shallum, the son of Kolkhoze, the chief of the district of Mitzpah: he built it, and covered it, and put in its doors, its locks and its bolts - he also repaired the wall at the reservoir of Selah opposite the king's garden and up to the steps descending from the city of David. The “Gate of the Source” probably got its name from its proximity to the Spring of Siloam and therefore they are sought in the southeast. tip of the city hill. Shallum, who worked on this gate, also repaired it, according to Art. 15, “the wall at the reservoir of Selah opposite the king’s garden and to the steps descending from the city of David.” The reservoir of Selah is usually identified with the Pond of Siloam (cf. Isa. 8:6; John 9:7), although this identification is not indisputable (Gute). The steps or staircase that descended from the city of David is mentioned in (Neh. 12:37). Schick and Gute traces of them indicate the place where the then surface of the rock has been preserved to this day, not far from the wall (Zett. D. Pal. Ver. 1882, 315). Nehemiah 3:16. Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the commander of the semi-district of Bethzur, repaired after him, to the tombs of David and to the dug pond and to the home of the brave. “Nehemiah, the son of ABC” (cf. Neh. 1:1), was the head of the Bethzur semi-district. Beth-zur (Josh. 15:58; 2 Chron. 11:7), often mentioned in the Maccabees, is identical with the present Beit-Sur, located on 3 German. miles south of Jerusalem, west of the Hebron road. The remains of an ancient tower have been preserved here to this day. – Nehemiah repaired a section of the wall “to the graves of David, and to the dug pond, and to the house of the brave.” The Tombs of David, or the tombs of the royal house of David, were located east of Mount Zion. In present-day Jerusalem, their place is indicated differently (Interpretation of the Bible, note to (1 Kings 2:10)). Under the dug pond in st. 16 of course, probably some kind of pond dug in recent times, not long before Nehemiah, and therefore well known to everyone. The house of the brave was called, one might think, some kind of barracks (cf. 2 Samuel 16:6, 23:8) or a house in which the guards of the church gates were housed, cf. (1 Chronicles 9:26) and (1 Chronicles 26:6). Gute points this place to the southwest. from the source of Mary (Zeit. D. R. V. 1882, 332). Nehemiah 3:17. The Levites repaired after him: Rehum son of Beni; Beside him, Hashabiah, the commander of the Keilah semi-district, was repairing for his district. Mentioned in Art. 17 Keilah ("semi-district of Keilah") is identical with the present village of Kilah, lying east of Beth-Jibrin (Eleutheropolis), in 4 German. miles southeast from Jerusalem (cf. Josh. 15:44; 1 Sam. 23:1; 1 Chron. 4:19). Nehemiah 3:18. After him, their brothers repaired: Bavvai, son of Henadad, head of the Keilah semi-district. "Their brothers", i.e. residents of another semi-district of Keil. Nehemiah 3:19. And next to him Ezer the son of Jesus, the chief of Mitzpah, was repairing in the second area, opposite the entrance to the armory on the corner. "On the second site". It was probably not Ezer himself who repaired the second section, but the inhabitants of Mitzpah who stood under his leadership (cf. v. 7). - “Opposite the sunrise to the armory on the corner” (slav.: “the second measure of the sunrise pillar touching the corner”). Neschek – armory or workshop. The location of this armory on the corner is difficult to determine. Nehemiah 3:20. After him, Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired in the second area, from the corner to the door of the house of Eliashib, the great priest. “Baruch zealously (hecherah) repaired after him.” Heb. hecherah, omitted from LXX, transferred to Russian. the text is tentative, since it is difficult to give the word a definite meaning in this place. In Lucian it is transmitted Εἰς τὸ ὄρος also in the Vulg. in monte, on the mountain; for some interpreters: angry (at the slowness of construction). Rissel prefers reading the Vulgas. In monte, as corresponding to the position of the part of the wall on which Baruch was working. In this case, Baruch repaired at the place where the wall, bending to the east and rising up the mountain, formed a corner. - “On the second site.” The first section, however, is not specified. – Mentioned in Art. The 20th and 21st houses of the high priest Eliashib were apparently located to the southwest. corner of the church square, not too far from the wall that rose on the west side of Ophel in an easterly direction. As you can see, the high priest's house occupied a significant space. Nehemiah 3:22. Priests from the surrounding area repaired it. “Priests from the surrounding area repaired it” (hakikkar). Instead of the vague hakikkar, usually used in the Bible as a name for the Jordan Valley (Gen. 13:12, 19:17, 25, 28, 29; Deut. 34:1), in the Vulg. reads: viri de campestribus Jordanis, famous: “men from the field [of Jordan].” Nehemiah 3:23. Benjamin and Hashshub repaired behind them, against their house; Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Hananiah, repaired after them near his house. Benjamin and Hashuv were probably priests, since in the area south of the church area there were apparently priests' houses. Nehemiah 3:25. Behind him is Falal, the son of Uzai, opposite the corner and the tower protruding from the upper royal house, which is near the prison courtyard. Behind him is Fedaia, son of Parosh. “Against the corner and tower protruding from the upper royal house.” From the original, in accordance with the LXX, where it reads: ὁ πύργος ὁ ἀνώτερος, it is also translated differently: against the corner and higher than the tower protruding from the royal house. The royal house is not the royal palace that lay in the city of David, but some kind of government building near the church square, with a prison courtyard next to it. Apparently, this is the prison court mentioned by Jeremiah (Jer. 32:2, 8, 12, 33:1, 37:21). Judging by (Neh. 12:39), it can be assumed that the prison court was located on the south side of the church area, and precisely in the eastern half of this side. The angle mentioned in Art. 25, was formed by the eastern side of the prison courtyard and the southern side of the church square. Nehemiah 3:26. The Nethinim, who lived in Ophel, repaired it opposite the Water Gate to the east and up to the projecting tower. Russian translators inserted in this article. the word "repaired". The original refers only to the place of residence of the Nephinites, which is indicated “in Ophel opposite the Water Gate east to the projecting tower.” “The Water Gate,” according to Talmudic tradition, got its name from the fact that on the Day of Tabernacles water taken from the source was carried into the church through them. Some indicate their location not far from the source of Mary (Schultz). Bertolet, however, suggests that these were not the city gates, but the gates of the royal palace. “Up to the protruding tower.” - See the example to v. 25. Nehemiah 3:27. Behind them the Tekoites were repairing, in the second section, from the place opposite the large projecting tower to the wall of Ophel. “They were repairing them”: from the original. behind him, apparently behind Fedaia (v. 25) “in the second section.” The first section of the Tekoites is mentioned in v. 5. The protruding tower, opposite which the Tekoite sector began, is believed (Robinson, Rissel) to be located in the southeast. corner of the church square, where the remains of the structure are still visible. Nehemiah 3:28. Next, the Horse Gate was repaired by the priests, each opposite his own house. “Further (more precisely: above) the Horse Gate was repaired by the priests.” Some explain the name of the Horse Gate by the fact that it was located not far from the parking lot of the horses dedicated to the sun (2 Kings 23:11). According to I. Flavius, the gate was called Horse Gate because the shortest path to the royal stables went through it (Jude. Ancient. IX, 7, 3). According to (Jer. 31:40; 2 Kings 11:16; 2 Chron. 23:15), the gate was related to the royal palace and, therefore, should be looked for in the southeast of the church area, from where it led to the Kidron Valley. Nehemiah 3:29. After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired against his house, and after him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the eastern gate, repaired. “Shemaiah, son of Shechaniah, keeper of the eastern gate”, i.e. named in Art. 26 Water Gates. The Shemaiah site is not specified. Probably, as the guard of the eastern gate, he repaired this gate and the part of the wall adjacent to it. Nehemiah 3:30. After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalath in the second section. Meshullam the son of Berechiah was repairing behind him, opposite his room. The words “sixth son of Zalaph” arouse bewilderment, since no such indications are made elsewhere in the chapter. It is possible that an error has crept into the text. – About Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, it is reported (cf. Neh. 3:4, 6:18) that he repaired “against his chamber” (glory: “against his treasury”). It was probably a room that served the purpose of worship. Nehemiah 3:31. Malchiah the son of Hazorphi repaired after him, as far as the house of the Nethinim and the merchants, opposite the gate of Hammithkad, and to the coal dwelling. "Malchiah, son of Hazorphi" (hazzorphi). Gute reads the last word hazzarphi and understands it as an indication of the origin of Maphias from Sarepta (“Sareptian”); but usually the word is understood in the sense of a common noun, and as an indication that Malchia belonged to the cexy of goldsmiths. - “To the house of the Nethinim and merchants.” – According to Art. 26, the Nethinim lived on Ophel. In Art. 31, one must think, we are not talking about their home, but about their place of service, which was apparently located in the north-east. from the church. The merchants who were put in contact with the Nethineans were, of course, sellers of items needed for worship (cf. Matt. 21:12; John 2:14). They were apparently provided with a building near the church in which the Nethinim also stayed. - “Against the Gammifkad gate and up to the coal housing.” The Gammifkad gate (slav. “gate of judgment”) did not belong to the city wall, because, as noted, a wall was built against it. They probably formed the entrance to the mipkad habst mentioned in (Ezek. 43:21) (glorified: “in the excommunicated church”) - the place where the sin offering was burned (from Hebrew: “exaltation of the corner”). Coal housing - perhaps something like a tower, was located in the north-east. corner of the church square, on the site of the present “throne of Solomon”. It should be noted that the text of Art. 31 is not transmitted equally by everyone. Instead of reading our translation, some (Burt, Rissel, Kaut) read: “Malchiah repaired after him, to the house of the Nethinim and (after him they repaired) the merchants. Text in Greek. and glory also give a different idea from reading the Russian translation. Nehemiah 3:32. And between the coal dwellings and the Sheep Gate, silversmiths and merchants repaired. “Serebryaniki” – after Perles. Anolect. 78, money changers. You might be interested in: