Gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls
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There are eight (nine) gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls.
| Name | Alternative names | Construction Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Damascus Gate, [link] | Sha'ar Dameseq, Sha'ar Shechem, Nablus Gate, Bab al'Amoud- The Gate of the Pillar | 1537 CE | Middle of northern side |
| The Dung Gate, [link] | Sha'ar Ha'ashpot, Gate of Silwan, Mograbi Gate | 1538-40 | East of southern side |
| Herod's Gate, [link] | Sha'ar Hordos, Sha'ar HaPerachim- Flowers Gate, the Sheep's Gate, Bab-a-Sahairad | ??? | East of northern side |
| The Golden Gate, [link] | Sha'ar Harahamim- Gate of Mercy, the Gate of Eternal Life | 5th century CE | Middle of eastern side |
| The Jaffa Gate, [link] | Sha'ar Yaffo, Bab al-Halil- Hebron Gate (literally "Gate of the Friend", i.e., Abraham), The Gate of David's Prayer Shrine, Porta Davidi | 1530-40 | Middle of western side |
| The Lions' Gate, [link] | Sha'ar Ha'ariot, The Gate of Jehoshafat, St. Mary's Gate- Bab Sitt Miriam, St. Stephen's Gate, The Gate of the Tribes | 1538-39 | North of eastern side |
| The New Gate, [link] | Sha'ar HaHadash, Gate of Hammid, Bab al-Jedid | 1887 | West of northern side |
| The Zion Gate, [link] | Sha'ar Tzion, Gate of the Prophet David, Gate to the Jewish Quarter | 1540 | Middle of southern side |
Note: The links after the gate names link to photos of the gates
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Jerusalem |
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The first of each of the alternate names (Aside from the Golden Gate) is the Hebrew version of the name. Other alternate names are traditional Arabic, Christian, or Jewish names.
Next to Jaffa Gate is a gap in the wall, originally a filled-in moat, which is the main route into the Old City and is usually called "the Jaffa Gate." There is also another opening next to the Dung Gate, and the original Roman gates (one large gate flanked by a small gate on each side) can be seen below street level at the Damascus Gate.
There is also another series of blocked gates called the Huldah Gates, accessible from the Southern Wall Excavations. Dating from the Herodian period, these sets of gates (one single, one double, and one triple) were used by pilgrims coming to the Second Temple and were within the city walls until Crusader times. The gates lead to a series of tunnels beneath the Temple Mount. Because of the large crowds of people that thronged the Temple during the pilgrimage festival, one gate was used to enter the Temple compound and the other to exit it. One exception was mourners, who would use the opposite route. There are many more gates to the Temple Mount within the walls of the Old City.
See also: Jerusalem's Old City Walls, Jerusalem's Old City, City gate
External links and references
- [Jerusalem Old City Walls]- Photos and additional information.
- http://www.amyisrael.co.il/brijnet/aje/j3000/gates/j3000.htm
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