Ophel
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A name given to a certain part of a city, as in Jerusalem (II Chr 27:3; 33:14), or Samaria (II Kgs 5:24, given as "citadel" in the KJV). After the return from the Babylonian Exile the Nethinim (Temple servants) in Jerusalem dwelt in the Ophel (Neh 3:26). From Isaiah 32:14 (KJV "forts and towers") and Micah 4:8 (KJV "tower"), it can be deduced that this part of the city was strongly fortified. The word ophel in Semitic languages means "swell, rise" and hence the ophel was the elevated part of the town, containing the inner citadel, the acropolis, the seat of the king and the center of royal administration.
In Jerusalem the Ophel apparently included the upper (northern) part of the "City of David", the site of the former Jebusite castle of Zion (I Chr 11:5), located near the Water Gate, near the Temple Mount (see MORIAH). The eastern slope, towards the Kidron Valley, was fortified by a series of walls from as early as the Middle Bronze Age. See MILLO; JERUSALEM
Concordance
II Chr 27:3; 33:14. Neh 3:26-27; 11:21
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Ophel
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Ophel
Ophel (ō'fəl), hill in ancient Jerusalem. In the Bible, it was the dwelling place of Nethinim.
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The Ophel (Hebrew: עופל) or Ophlas,[1][2] meaning fortified hill or risen area, is the biblical name given to a certain part of a settlement or city that is elevated from its surroundings. In the bible the Ophel refers to the elevation in two cities: the City of David in the Old City of Jerusalem[3] , and at Samaria[4] , the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Israel. Ernest L. Martin asserts the controversial claim in his book, "The Temples that Jerusalem Forgot", that the Ophel Mound is the site of the First and Second Temples and what is called the Temple Mount today was in fact the Roman Fort Antonia.
The term can be seen as an equivalent to the Greek term Acropolis.
The Ophel in Jerusalem
Main article: City of David
The City of David, also known as the Ophel, is a narrow promontory beyond the southern edge of Jerusalem's Temple Mount and Old City, with the Tyropoeon Valley (valley of the cheesemakers) on its west, the Hinnom valley to the south, and the Kidron Valley on the east. The previously deep valley (the Tyropoeon) separating the Ophel from what is now referred to as the Old City of Jerusalem currently lies hidden beneath the debris of centuries. Despite the name, the Old City of Jerusalem dates from a much later time than the settlement in the City of David, which is generally considered to have been the original Jerusalem. Traditionally, the name City of David applied to the area inside the ancient fortifications, while the name Ophel applied to the area between the end of the city wall and the Temple Mount.
References
- ^ Lightfoot, John. 2007. From the Talmud and Hebraica, Vol. 1 (reprint). New York, New York: Cosimo. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-60206-406-5
- ^ Freedman, David Noel; editor. 2000. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p. 990. ISBN 0-8028-2400-5
- ^ Book of Chronicles Chapter 27:3, 33:14
- ^ Book of Kings II, Chapter 5:24
Coordinates: 31°46′27″N 35°14′10″E / 31.77417°N 35.23611°E
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Bible Dictionary and Concordance
Illustrated Dictionary & Concordance of the Bible. Copyright © 1986 by G.G. The Jerusalem Publishing House, Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Columbia Encyclopedia
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
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