Ever since the days of David Jerusalem has been the chief city of Palestine, and although so small a city now that it would go conveniently into Hyde Park—and perhaps never much larger than at present—it has been the theatre of great events, and it claims an attentive study. Small as it was, it stood upon several hills, which were more or less easy to defend by fortifications, and offered some choice to the monarch desirous of building a palace, a tower, or a temple. The variety of local features, of hill and ravine and watercourse, finds frequent mention in the history, and is sometimes so much intertwined with the events related, that it becomes necessary to look at the topography before we can hope to understand the narrative. For instance, when David wrested the city from the Jebusites:—
"David took the strong hold of Zion. . . . And David dwelt in the strong hold, and called it the City of David. And David built round about from Millo inward" (2 Sam. V. 7-9).
"So he took the Lower City by force, but the Citadel[1] held out still. . . . When David had cast the Jebusites out of the Citadel, he also rebuilt Jerusalem, and named it the City of David"—Josephus, Antiquities, vii. 3, 1-2, (Whiston's Translation).
Here we should like to know at least which part of
- ↑ Greek "Akra."
