8:28

[smelt.]

Yerusalem(TB)/Yeruzalem(TL) <03389> [Jerusalem.]

Jerusalem, the ancient capital of Judea, is situated in long. 35 degrees 20. min. E., lat. 31 degrees 47 min 47 sec. N.; and, according to the best authorities, 136 miles S. W. of Damascus, 34 miles S. of Shechem or Nablous, 45 miles E. of Jaffa, 27 miles N. of Hebron, and about 20 miles W. of Jericho. The city of Jerusalem was built on hills, and encompassed with mountains, (Ps 125:2,) in a stony and barren soil, and was about sixteen furlongs in length, say Strabo. The ancient city of Jebus, taken by David from the Jebusites, was not large, and stood on a mountain south of that on which the temple was erected. Here David built a new city, called the city of David, wherein was the royal palace. Between these two mountains lay the valley of Millo, filled up by David and Solomon; and after the reign of Manasseh, another city is mentioned, called the second. The Maccabees considerably enlarged Jerusalem on the north, enclosing a third hill; and Josephus mentions a fourth hill, called Bezetha, which Agrippa joined to the former: this new city lay north of the temple, along the brook Kidron. See note ch. 9:34.