jerusalem in bible

8/10/2019 Jerusalem in Bible

1/9

Jerusalem in Bible Times: V. Zion, Ophel, and MoriahAuthor(s): Lewis Bayles PatonSource: The Biblical World, Vol. 29, No. 5 (May, 1907), pp. 322+327-333Published by: The University of Chicago PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3141119.

Accessed: 22/11/2014 04:58

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at.

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of

content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms

of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

The University of Chicago Pressis collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The

Biblical World.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 109.101.36.38 on Sat, 22 Nov 2014 04:58:27 AM
http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=ucpresshttp://www.jstor.org/stable/3141119?origin=JSTOR-pdfhttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/stable/3141119?origin=JSTOR-pdfhttp://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=ucpress


2/9

JERUSALEM IN

BIBLE TIMES

PROFESSOR LEWIS

BAYLES PATON, PH.D., D.D.

HartfordTheologicalSeminary

V. ZION, OPHEL, AND MORIAH

I. Zson.

Another hill mentioned in the Old

Testament even

more frequently

than the City of David is Zion.

In regard to the

location of this

hill the views have been as diverse

as they have

been

in regard o the City of David. The traditionboth of the Greekand

of

the Latin church identifies

Zion with SW.

This is followed by

Robinson,

Williams, Lewin, and DeVogue. The

first trace of this

view is found in

the narrativeof the Bordeaux

Pilgrim dating from

the fourth century

A. D.

The

monk Brocardus n

I283 followed

this view in his topography of

Jerusalem. Aben Ezra, De Lyra,

Lightfoot, Hiller, and others have

identifiedZion

with NW. Fergu-

son and Thrupp

identified t with NE. Clarke,

Buckingham,and

Ritter identified

it with the Hill of Evil Counsel

southeast of the

city. In recent times the view has become general that Zion is the

name for the entire easternridge.

This view was

first advocatedby

Caspari,and has

been adoptedby Birch, Weikert,

Socin, Guthe, Ben-

zinger, Buhl, and

G. A. Smith. Even the monks

of St. Stephen's

in

Jerusalemhave come to accept

the east-hilltheory n opposition

o

the traditionof

the Latin church.

The arguments n supportof

the

identification f Zion with the

easternhill are as follows:

I.

All the

early references o the City of

David identify it

with

Zion in such a

way as to show that Zion and the

City of David must

have lain on the

same ridge. In II Sam. 5:7[= I

Chron.II :5] we

read: "Nevertheless, David took

the strongholdof Zion; the same

is the City of

David." In I Kings 8: It= II Chron.

5:2] we are told

that Solomonbroughtup the ark

of the covenant

of the Lord out of

the City of David, which is Zion.

The City of David, as we have

seen, was located on the southern

extremityof the easternhill. If it

can be explained

by sayingthat it is

Zion, this indicates hat Zion was

a name for the

same hill.

327

This content downloaded from 109.101.36.38 on Sat, 22 Nov 2014 04:58:27 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


3/9

-

J

1

EAST

HILL

OF

JERUSALEM-

THE

TRUE

ZTON



4/9

s l

s

-

s

s

8

F

-

*|6

:

-

|

|

:

328

THE

BIBLICAL

WORLD

2.

The

pre-exllic

rophets

requently

peak

of

Zion

as

ina

peculiar

sense

the

abode

of

Yahweh.

This

shows

hat

it wasthe hill upon

which

the

Temple

stood.

Thus,

Amos

I:2?

"Yahweh

hall

roar

from

Zion;"

sa

2:3,

"Many

people

hall

come

up

to

the

mouxltain

of

Yahweh,

o

thewhouse

f

the

God

of

Jacob.

.

o

for

out

of

Zion

shall

go

forth

nstruction;"

sa.

4:5J

"And

the

Lord

will

create

olrer

the

whole

habitation

f

Mount

Zion,

and

over

her

assemblies,

cloud

and

smoke

by

day;"

:

I8,"

Yahweh

f

hosts

dwelleth

n

Mount

Zion;2'

SOUTHWEST

HILTHE

TRADIT10NAL

ZION

I4:32

"Yahweh

hath

founded

Zion;"

8:7X

"A

present

hall

be

brought

nto

Yahweh

fhosts o theplaceofthenameofYahweh f

hosts

the

mount

of

Zion;"

9:I)

7

9,

"Anel,

the

city

where

David

encamped,"

nd

where

he

feasts

of

Yahweh

re

celebrated,

s

called

Mount

Zion;

I:4J

"Yahweh

f

hosts

will

come

down

o

Eght

upon

Mount

Zion;"

I

:9,

"whose

ire s

in

Zion;"

3:

202

"Z;on,

he

city

of

our

olemnities"

MicZ

:

I2

PUtS

into

parallelism

ith

he

statement,

"

Zion

hall

be

ploughed

s

a

field,"

the

mountain

f

the

house

hall

become

s

the

high

places

of

a

forest."

Mic.

:7

says:

"Yahweh

shall

eign

over

hem

n

Mount

Zion."

Jer.

8:

I9

inquires:

"Is

not



5/9

JERUSALEMIN

BIBLE

TIMES

329

Yahweh in Zion?

Is not her

king in

her?" Jer. 3I:6,

I2 reads:

"Let us go up to Zion unto Yahweh our God." "They shall come

and sing in

the height of

Zion." These

passages

indicate that

the

Temple, the

earthly abode

of Yahweh,

stood

upon Zion. But

the

Temple was

certainly

situated upon the

eastern hill;

consequently

Zion

also must be

soughton this hill.

3.

The early

prophets

mention Zion as

the residenceof

the

king

and the

nobility.

We know,

however, hat

Solomon'spalace

adjoined

the

Temple and

was inclosed

within the

same wall;

consequently

Zion

must be

identifiedwith the

eastern hill.

Amos 6: I

describes

the rulersof Judah as " thosethatare at ease in Zion,"and putsthem

into

parallelismwith

the rulersof

Israel who dwell

in

Samaria. Isa.

3: I6

f. describes he

wives of

the aristocracy

s " daughters

of Zion;"

I6:I

tells the

distressedMoabites

to send a

tribute of

lambs to the

ruler

of Judah unto

the mountof

daughterZion.

Isa. 28:

I6, describ-

ing

the conditionof

the renewed

nation,

says: " Behold I

lay in Zion

for a

foundation tone, a

tried stone, a

precious

corner-stone."

Mic.

4:8 says that

the

formerdominion

of the kings of

Judah shall

again

return

o Ophel of

daughterZion.

In this

connection t

may be men-

tioned that Cant.

3:II

representsthe daughters of Zion as going

forth

to meet King

Solomonon his

return o his

palacewith

his bride.

4.

The exilic

writingsconnect

Zion with the

Temple as

frequently

as do the

pre-exilic

writings; thus, Lam.

I:4,

"The ways of

Zion

do

mourn, because

none come to

the

solemnassembly; all

her gates

are

desolate, her

priests do sigh;"

2:6f.,

"Yahweh

hath caused

solemn

assembly and

sabbath to be

forgotten n

Zion; he hath

cast

off his altar

and abhorredhis

sanctuary; 4: I, I I, "

The stones of

the

sanctuary are

poured out;"

"Yahweh has

kindled a fire

in Zion;"

Obad., vs I7, "In Mount

Zion there shall

be those

that escape,

and

it

shall be

holy" (cf. also Isa.

52:7 f.;

60: I4; 64: I0

f; Jer. 50: 5,

28;

5I:

I0).

5. The

post-exilic

prophets n like

manner

speak of Zion as

the

dwelling-place f Yahweh

(cf. Zech. 2:

I0; 8: 2, 3;

Joel 2: I, I5; 3:

I6,

I7, 2I; Isa.

24: 23).

6.

In the Psalter

Zion is scarcely

ever mentioned

except

in connec-

tion with the

Temple

and its

worship. In a

numberof passages t

is

put into

parallelismwith the

sanctuary; hus,

Ps. 20:

2, "Send hee

help



6/9

THE BIBLICAL WORLD

33o

from the sanctuary, nd strengthenhee out of Zion;"Ps. 78:68,

"MountZionwhichhe loved,and he built his sanctuary."As the

site of the Temple,Zion s repeatedly escribed s "the placethat

Yahwehhas chosen,"or "has loved" (cf. Pss. 78:68; 87:2, 5).

It is also said to be "the place wherehe dwelleth," r "wherehe

reigns" cf.Pss.48:2; 74:2; 76:2; 99:2; I32:I3; I46:Io; 9:IIv I4;

2:6; 87:2). As the dwelling-placef Yahweh,Zion s described s

the sourceof salvation, ife, and blessing or Israel (cf. Pss. 9:I4;

I4:7; 50:2; 53:6; IIo:2; I28:5; I33:3; I34:3) Zion is also

repeatedly escribed s the placewhere he worship f Yahweh oes

on, whichalso mplies hat t wasthe mountain n which he Temple

stood; thus,Ps. 65: , "Praisewaiteth or thee,O God, n Zion,and

unto heeshall hevowbe performed;Ps.84: 7, " Every neof them

appeareth eforeGod in Zion." In Ps. I37: I, 3 the songsof the

Temple are described s songs of Zion (cf. Ps.

I02: 2I; I47: I2;

I25:I). Those who followecclesiasticalraditionn locatingZion

on the west hill explain hese passagesby assuming hat the name

Zionwas originallypplied o SW,but wassubsequentlyxtendedo

cover he entire ity,and thenwas imited n the language f religion

to theTemplemountain. This theorys so artificialhat t hasfound

no favoramong riticalhistorians.

7. The writings f the ApocryphaonnectZionwith the Temple

in precisely he samemanner s the earlier iterature. In I Macc.

4:37, 38 we read: "Andall the armywasgatheredogether ndthey

went up untoMountZion. And they saw the sanctuaryaid deso-

late, and the altar profaned, nd the gates burnedup, and shrubs

growing n the courtsas in a forestor as on one of the mountains,

and the pnests'chambers ulleddown;" Macc. 5:54, "And thev

wentup to MountZionwithgladness nd oy,andofferedwholeburnt

men, and they fled into the City of David;and after these things

Nicanorwentup to MountZion,and therecamesomeof the priests

out of the sanctuary."In I4:27 it is narrated hat it was decided

to set up certain illars n honor f Simon n MountZion. In I4:48

we are told that thesewereset up in a conspicuouslacewithin he

compass f thesanctuary.

The only wawTn which advocates f the west-Zion heorycan



7/9

JERUSALEM IN BIBLE TIMES 33I

dispose fthese tatementss

to assert hat

FirstMaccabeess in error

in its identification.Thus,MommertVol.I, p.

I79)

remarks: In

the second

centurybeforeChrist n

MaccabeesZion

appears or a

short ime as

a designationf the

sanctuary."As a matterof fact,

Zion has

neverappeared s anything lse

than a

designationf the

sanctuaryrom he earliest

imesonward.

Thisidentifications not

peculiar o Maccabees

mongthe books

of theApocrypha, ut is

found also in

Ecclus. 24:Io, "In the

holytabernacle ministered

beforehim;

and so was I establishedn

Zion;"I Esdr.8:8I, "He

glorifiedhe

templeof our

Lord,andraisedup the desolate

Zion."

8.

Josephus everuses henameZion,but n Ant. ,

I3: 2; Vii. 4 : 2;

I3:4, he states hat David's

entfor the arkwas pitched n

the same

mountain n whichSolomon's

emplewas

afterward uilt. Dand's

tentfor the

ark,accordingo II Sam.6:I2,

was placed n the Cityof

David on

MountZion; consequently

osephus lso seems

to have

held that Zion was the

Temple hill. We find thus an

unbroken

tradition

dentifying ionwiththe eastern

ill from he earliest imes

down o about OO A. D.

The only

objectiorlo this view is that

in many

passages f the

OldTestamentZion s put nto parallelism ithJerusalem.This, it

is claimed,

hows hatZionwasa name or

the wholecity,

andthere-

fore forbidsourbasingany

conclusionspon ts connection

ith he

Temple. This parallelism

f Zion and Jerusalems

found n the

pre-exilic

rophetscf. AmosI :2; Mic. 4: 2

L=Isa.2:3j;

Isa. 4:3 f.;

o:32; 3I :4f.,9; 33:20;

37:22,32[ =II Kings g:2I,3I];

Mic.3:Io

I2 [ =Jer.26:

I8]; 4: 8; Zeph.3: 4, I6). It is

foundmorerequentlyn

the exilicand

post-exiliciteraturecf. Jer. 5I

:35; Lam. :

I7; 2: O,

I3; 4:II f.; Isa.40:9; 4I:27;

52:I f.; 62:I; 64:Io; Zech.

:I7; 8:3;

9:9; Joel 3:I6 f.; Ps. 5I:I8; 76:2; Io2:I6, 2I; I28:5; I47:I2;

I35:2I;

Ecclus.24:O f.). In a number f

passages ion

and daugh-

ter Zionare

usedas names or the wholeof

Jerusalemcf.

Isa. I: 27;

Io:24; 29:8;

33:5, I4; Mic.

I:I3; 4:Io f; 4:I3; Jer

3:I4; 4:6,

3I; 6:2, 23; 9:I9; 30:I7;

Lam.I:6, I7; 2:I, 4, 8, I8;

4:22; 5:II,

I8; Isa. I2:6;

49:I4; 5I:3, II, I6; 6I:3;

62:II; 66:8; Zech.2:7;

Joel 2:23; Isa 35:Io; Ps. 9

I4; 87:5;

Io2:I3, I6; I26:I; I29:5).

It should

be noted hat all

thesepassagesn whichZion

s put nto

parallelism

ith Jerusalem,

r in which t is described s

if it were



8/9

THE BIBLICAL

WORLD

32

the

whole city, are poetical.

There is not one

instance in prose in

which

Zion is identifiedwith

Jerusalem. Zion is E>aralleloJudahor

Israel

in a numberof

passages (cf. Jer. I4:I9; Lam.

5:II; Isa. 46:

I3;

ZeCh,9:I3; PST48

II,I2;69:35;78:68;97:8;I49:2). It

would

not be

safe to infer from

these that Zion is literally

synonymous

with

all of Judah or

Israel. It

is equally unsafe to

infer from poetic

parallelism hat Zion is

literallysynonymouswith

Jerusalem.

When

we

consider hat in the great

majorityof

passages Zion is

connected

with the Temple

or with somethingon

the eastem

hill, and that in

not

one passage s it

connectedwith the westernhill,

the easiest way

to explain the Old Testament usage is to assume that Zion was

originallya name

for the eastem hill, but

that its associationwith

the

Temple made it

suitable as a poetic

designation of Jerusalem

or

Judah viewed as

a religious

community. When,

therefore, it is

placed

in parallelismwith

Jerusalemor Judah, it

does not

indicate

that it

had an actual

geographical xtension o the

westem hill.

This

is a

more natural hvpothesis

han the one

which assumes that

Zion

was

originallythe

name of the western

hill, was then extended

to

the whole citv,

and was finally imited

again to the

Temple mount.

II. OpheZ. The hill of Ophel is first mentioned in Mic. 4:8,

where

it is describedas "

Ophel of daughterZion."

Since Zion has

been

found to lie on the

eastem hill, this implies

that Ophel was

on

the same ridge.

Neh. 3:26 states that "

the Nethinim

dwelt in Ophel

unto

the place over against

the Water

Gate toward the east."

The

Water

Gate

opened upon the path which

led down from the

eastem

hill to the spring

of Gihon; consequently

Ophel was situated n

the

middle

of the

easternhill. The same

location s assigned o it by

the

statements of Neh. 3:27 and

II:2I. II Chron.

27:3 mentions the

wall of Ophel in connectionwith the upper gate of the house of the

Lord.

II Chron. 3:I4

connects he compassing

bout of Ophel

w]th

the

buildingof an outer wall

to the City

of David on the west

side of

Gihon.

Josephus, n Wars,

v, 4:2, says that the

eastem wall of

the

city

ran from

Siloam to the Temple and

joined the eastern

cloisterat

a place called

Ophel. Wars,v, 6: I,

connectsOphelwith the

Temple

and

the Valley of Kidron (cf.

n, 6: 3). From hese

passages t is

clear

that

Ophel must

have lain on the eastem

hill immediately outh of

the

Temple.



9/9

JERUSALEM IN BIBLE TIMES

333

IIIwMoriah--Moriahas a name or the Templemount s givell

only n lI Chron 3: x Gen.

22: 2, I4

(editorial)eems o know his

name, nasmuch s it explainsMoriahas meanlng he placewhere

men ought to appear before Yahweh-that is, the Temple. No

tracesof this name are found n early iteratureand it is doubtful

whethert was in actualuse. In all earlywritingsZion s the name

for the Templehill If Monah s a realname, henwe mustassume

that t applied o oneof the smaller eaksof the eastern ille In that

case Zion was the name of the whole easternndge, and its three

smallerpeaks extending rom northto southwere Moriah}OphelX

andCityof David.

THE VET,EY OF KIDRON

This content downloaded from 109 101 36 38 on Sat 22 Nov 2014 04:58:27 AM
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

jerusalem in bible

Documents