Jerusalem in Bible Times: V.

Zion, Ophel, and Moriah

Author(s): Lewis Bayles Paton
Source: The Biblical World, Vol. 29, No. 5 (May, 1907), pp. 322+327-333
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
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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 frequentlythan the City of David is Zion. In regard to the
location of this hill the views have been as diverseas they have been
in regardto 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 BordeauxPilgrim dating from
the fourth century A. D. The monk Brocardusin I283 followed
this view in his topographyof Jerusalem. Aben Ezra, De Lyra,
Lightfoot, Hiller, and othershave identifiedZion with NW. Ferguson and Thrupp identifiedit 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, Benzinger, Buhl, and G. A. Smith. Even the monks of St. Stephen's
in Jerusalemhave come to accept the east-hilltheoryin oppositionto
the traditionof the Latin church. The argumentsin supportof the
identificationof Zionwith the easternhill are as follows:
I. All the early referencesto 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 covenantof the Lord out of
the City of David, which is Zion. The City of David, as we have
seen, was located on the southernextremityof the easternhill. If it
can be explainedby sayingthat it is Zion,this indicatesthat Zionwas
a name for the same hill.
327

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EAST HILL OF JERUSALEM - THE TRUE ZTON

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328

THE BIBLICAL WORLD

2. The pre-exllicprophetsfrequently
speakof Zionas in a peculiar
sensethe abodeof Yahweh. This showsthat it was the hill upon
which the Temple stood. Thus, Amos I:2? "Yahwehshall roar
fromZion;"Isa 2:3, "Manypeopleshallcomeup to themouxltain
of Yahweh,to thewhouse
of the Godof Jacob. . . o for out of Zion
shallgo forthinstruction;"
Isa. 4:5J"Andthe Lordwill createolrer
thewholehabitationof MountZion,andoverherassemblies,
a cloud
andsmokeby day;"8: I8," Yahwehof hostsdwellethin MountZion;2'
s

s
-

*|6

SOUTHWEST HILTHE

TRADIT10NAL ZION

"Yahwehhath foundedZion;"I8:7X "A presentshall be

broughtuntoYahwehof hoststo theplaceof the nameof Yahwehof
hosts the mountof Zion;"29:I) 7 9, "Anel, the city whereDavid
encamped,"
andwherethe feastsof Yahwehare celebrated,
is called
MountZion;3I:4J "Yahwehof hostswill comedownto Eghtupon
MountZion;"3I :9, "whosefireis in Zion;"33: 202 "Z;on,thecityof
oursolemnities" MicZ3: I2 PUtS intoparallelism
withthestatement,
"Zionshallbe ploughedas a field,"' themountainof thehouseshall
becomeas the high placesof a forest." Mic. :7 says: "Yahweh
shallreignoverthemin MountZion." Jer.8: I9 inquires:"Is not
I4:32

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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
Zionalso mustbe soughton this hill.
3. The early prophetsmention Zion as the residenceof the king
and the nobility. We know,however,that Solomon'spalaceadjoined
the Temple and was inclosed within the same wall; consequently
Zion must be identifiedwith the eastern hill. Amos 6: I describes
the rulersof Judahas "those that are at ease in Zion,"and puts them
into parallelismwith the rulersof Israel who dwell in Samaria. Isa.
3: I6 f. describesthe wives of the aristocracyas " daughtersof Zion;"
I6:I tells the distressedMoabites to send a tribute of lambs to the
rulerof Judahunto the mountof daughterZion. Isa. 28: I6, describing the conditionof the renewednation, says: "Behold I lay in Zion
for a foundationstone, a tried stone, a preciouscorner-stone." Mic.
4:8 says that the formerdominionof the kings of Judah shall again
returnto Ophel of daughterZion. In this connectionit may be mentioned that Cant. 3:II representsthe daughters of Zion as going
forth to meet King Solomonon his returnto his palacewith his bride.
4. The exilic writingsconnectZion with the Temple as frequently
as do the pre-exilicwritings; thus, Lam. I:4, "The ways of Zion
do mourn,because none come to the solemn assembly; all her gates
are desolate, her priests do sigh;" 2:6f., "Yahweh hath caused
solemn assemblyand sabbath to be forgottenin Zion; he hath cast
off his altarand abhorredhis sanctuary;" 4: I, I I, "The stonesof the
sanctuaryare 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-exilicprophetsin like manner speak of Zion as the
dwelling-placeof Yahweh (cf. Zech.2: I0; 8: 2, 3; Joel 2: I, I5; 3: I6,
I7, 2I; Isa. 24: 23).
6. In the PsalterZionis scarcelyever mentionedexcept in connection with the Temple and its worship. In a numberof passagesit is
put into parallelismwiththe sanctuary;thus, Ps. 20: 2, "Sendtheehelp

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offerings;" 7:

33o

32,

Andtherefell onNicanor's
side aboutfive hundred

THE BIBLICAL WORLD

from the sanctuary,and strengthenthee out of Zion;"Ps. 78:68,

"MountZionwhichhe loved,and he builthis sanctuary."As the
site of the Temple,Zionis repeatedlydescribedas "the placethat
Yahwehhas chosen,"or "has loved" (cf. Pss. 78:68; 87:2, 5).
It is also said to be "the placewherehe dwelleth,"or "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-place
of Yahweh,Zionis describedas
the sourceof salvation,life, and blessingfor Israel(cf. Pss. 9:I4;
I4:7; 50:2; 53:6; IIo:2; I28:5; I33:3; I34:3) Zion is also
repeatedlydescribedas the placewherethe worshipof Yahwehgoes
on, whichalsoimpliesthatit wasthemountainon whichtheTemple
stood; thus,Ps. 65:I, "Praisewaitethfor thee,O God,in Zion,and
untotheeshallthevowbe performed;
" Ps. 84: 7, " Everyoneof them
appearethbeforeGod in Zion." In Ps. I37: I, 3 the songsof the
Templeare describedas songs of Zion (cf. Ps. I02: 2I; I47: I2;
I25:I).
Those who followecclesiasticaltraditionin locatingZion
on the west hill explainthese passagesby assumingthat the name
Zionwasoriginally
appliedto SW,but wassubsequently
extendedto
coverthe entirecity,andthenwaslimitedin thelanguageof religion
to theTemplemountain. Thistheoryis so artificialthatit hasfound
no favoramongcriticalhistorians.
7. The writingsof the Apocrypha
connectZionwiththe Temple
in preciselythe samemanneras the earlierliterature. In I Macc.
4:37, 38 we read: "Andall thearmywasgatheredtogetherandthey
went up untoMountZion. And they saw the sanctuarylaid desolate, and the altarprofaned,and the gatesburnedup, and shrubs
growingin the courtsas in a forestor as on one of the mountains,
and the pnests'chamberspulleddown;"I Macc.5:54, "Andthev
wentupto MountZionwithgladnessandjoy,andofferedwholeburnt
men, and they fled into the City of David;and after thesethings
Nicanorwentup to MountZion,and therecamesomeof the priests
out of the sanctuary."In I4:27 it is narratedthat it was decided
to set up certainpillarsin honorof Simonon MountZion. In I4:48
we are told thatthesewereset up in a conspicuous
placewithinthe
compassof thesanctuary.
The only wawT
in whichadvocatesof the west-Ziontheorycan

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JERUSALEMIN BIBLE TIMES

33I

disposeof thesestatements
is to assertthatFirstMaccabeesis in error
in its identification.Thus,Mommert(Vol.I, p. I79) remarks:"In
the secondcenturybeforeChristin MaccabeesZionappearsfor a
shorttimeas a designationof the sanctuary."As a matterof fact,
Zionhas neverappearedas anythingelse thana designation
of the
sanctuaryfromthe earliesttimesonward. This identification
is not
peculiarto Maccabeesamongthe books of the Apocrypha,
but is
found also in Ecclus. 24:Io, "In the holytabernacleI ministered
beforehim; and so was I establishedin Zion;"I Esdr.8:8I, "He
glorifiedthe templeof ourLord,andraisedup the desolateZion."
8. Josephus
neverusesthenameZion,butin Ant.i, I3: 2; Vii. 4 : 2;
I3:4, he statesthat David'stentfor the arkwaspitchedon the same
mountainonwhichSolomon'sTemplewasafterward
built. Dand's
tentfor the ark,accordingto II Sam.6: I2, wasplacedin the Cityof
David on MountZion; consequently
Josephusalso seemsto have
held that Zion was the Templehill. We find thus an unbroken
traditionidentifyingZionwiththe easternhill fromthe earliesttimes
downto aboutIOO A. D.
The only objectiorlto this view is that in manypassagesof the
OldTestamentZionis putintoparallelism
withJerusalem. This, it
is claimed,showsthatZionwasa nameforthewholecity,andthereforeforbidsourbasinganyconclusions
uponits connection
withthe
Temple. This parallelismof Zion and Jerusalemis foundin the
pre-exilicprophets(cf. AmosI :2; Mic. 4: 2L=Isa.2:3j; Isa. 4:3 f.;
o:32; 3I :4 f.,9; 33:20;37:22,32[ =II KingsIg:2I,3I]; Mic.3:Io!
I2 [ =Jer.26:I8]; 4:8; Zeph.3:I4, I6). It is foundmorefrequently
in
the exilicandpost-exilicliterature(cf. Jer.5I:35; Lam.I: I7; 2:IO,
I3; 4:II f.; Isa.40:9; 4I:27; 52:I f.; 62:I; 64:Io; Zech.I: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:IO f.). In a numberof passagesZionanddaughter Zionareusedas namesfor the wholeof Jerusalem(cf. 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 shouldbe notedthatall thesepassagesin whichZionis putinto
parallelismwith Jerusalem,or in whichit is describedas if it were

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332

THE BIBLICAL WORLD

the whole city, are poetical. There is not one instance in prose in
which Zion is identifiedwith Jerusalem. Zion is E>arallel
to Judahor
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 literallysynonymouswith
all of Judah or Israel. It is equally unsafe to infer from poetic
parallelismthat Zion is literallysynonymouswith Jerusalem. When
we considerthat in the great majorityof passages Zion is connected
with the Temple or with somethingon the eastem hill, and that in
not one passageis 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 actualgeographicalextensionto the westemhill. This
is a more naturalhvpothesisthan the one which assumes that Zion
was originallythe name of the western hill, was then extended to
the whole citv, and was finallylimited 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 Nethinimdweltin Ophel
unto the place over against the Water Gate towardthe east." The
Water Gate opened upon the path which led down from the eastem
hill to the spring of Gihon; consequentlyOphel was situatedin the
middle of the easternhill. The same locationis assignedto 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.33:I4 connectsthe compassingaboutof Ophelw]th
the buildingof an outer wall to the City of David on the west side of
Gihon. Josephus,in Wars, v, 4:2, says that the eastem wall of the
city ran from Siloam to the Temple and joined the easterncloisterat
a place called Ophel. Wars,v, 6: I, connectsOphelwith the Temple
and the Valley of Kidron(cf. n, 6: 3). Fromthesepassagesit is clear
that Ophel must have lain on the eastem hill immediatelysouthof the
Temple.

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JERUSALEM IN BIBLE TIMES

333

IIIwMoriah--Moriahas a namefor the Templemountis givell

onlyin lI Chron3: x Gen.22: 2, I4 (editorial)seemsto knowthis
name,inasmuchas it explainsMoriahas meanlngthe placewhere
men ought to appearbefore Yahweh-that is, the Temple. No
tracesof this name are foundin earlyliteratureand it is doubtful
whetherit was in actualuse. In all earlywritingsZionis the name
for the Templehill If Monahis a realname,thenwe mustassume
thatit appliedto oneof the smallerpeaksof theeasternhille In that
case Zion was the name of the wholeeasternndge, and its three
smallerpeaksextendingfromnorthto southwereMoriah}OphelX
andCityof David.

THE VET,EY OF KIDRON

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