quarter of Jerusalem. Contours had also been given in the Ordnance Survey conducted by Sir C. Wilson in 1864. At length Conder was able to take all the data and send home a plan of rock levels for the entire city. From this he also prepared a reduced shaded sketch of the original rock site of the town. The sketch is here reproduced, and by the help of it the reader will find it comparatively easy to understand Josephus's description, as well as the reconstruction of the ancient city which will be attempted in this section.
Josephus says—"The city of Jerusalem was fortified with
three walls, on such parts as were not encompassed with
unpassable valleys, for in such places it had but one wall.
The city was built upon two hills, which are opposite to
one another, and have a valley to divide them asunder, at
which valley the corresponding rows of houses on both
hills end. Of these hills that which contains the Upper
City is much higher and in length more direct. Accordingly
it was called the Citadel ((
Greek characters)) by King David,
but it is by us called the Upper Market Place. But the
other hill, which was called Akra, and sustains the Lower
City, is curved on both sides ((Greek characters)).[1] Over against
this was a third hill, but naturally lower than Akra, and
parted formerly from the other by a broad valley. However,
in those times when the Maccabees reigned, they
filled up that valley with earth, and had a mind to join
the city to the temple. They then took off part of the
height of Akra, and reduced it to be of less elevation than
it was before, that the temple might be superior to it.
Now the Tyropœon Valley, as it was called, and was that
which we told you before distinguished the hill of the
Upper City from that of the Lower, extended as far as
Siloam." (Wars, v. 4, 1.)
- ↑ Might mean arched, or gibbous, or humped. Conder understands it "rising to a peak." Q. S. Oct. 1873.
