Ophel
Sign in to save300px|thumb|The ophel of Jerusalem. The Kidron Valley and [[Mount of Olives are in the background.]]
Article
22 sectionsContents
- Meaning of the term
- Jerusalem ''ophel''
- Hebrew Bible
- Josephus' "''Ophlas"''
- Mount Ophel excavation
- Canaanite or First Temple period findings
- First Temple period findings
- Hellenistic Period findings
- Roman Period (Herodian Temple-related) findings
- Byzantine period finding
- Umayyad period findings
- Archaeological assessment
- Dating of the Wall
- Structural Features
- Previous excavations
- Criticism of approach
- Samaria ''Ophel''
- King Mesha's ''Ophel''
- See also
- Further reading
- References
- External links
300px|thumb|The ophel of Jerusalem. The Kidron Valley and [[Mount of Olives are in the background.]]
Ophel () is the biblical term given to a certain part of a settlement or city that is elevated from its surroundings, and probably means fortified hill or risen area. In the Hebrew Bible, the term is in reference to two cities: Jerusalem (as in 2 Chronicles 27, 2 Chronicles 33, Nehemiah 3, and Nehemiah 11) and Samaria (mentioned in 2 Kings 5). The Mesha Stele, written in Moabite, a Canaanite language closely related to Biblical Hebrew, is the only extra-biblical source using the word, also in connection to a fortified place.