because originally a suburb outside the walls which encircled the hills.
The Capture of Jerusalem and Flight of Zedekiah.—Not to multiply incidents, let us come now to the last king of Judah—Zedekiah. In his day Nebuchadnezzer came up against the city, and pitched his camp, as all had done before him, against the northern quarter. The event to be expected in such a case is described in Zeph. i. 10. There is first a noise from the Fish Gate at the head of the Asmonean Valley. Of consequence there is next a howling from the Second Quarter of Jerusalem, for the forcing of the Fish Gate has brought the invaders into the northern "suburb." Next, the alarm having spread, there is a crashing from the hills on either side. Howl ye inhabitants of Macktesh—the "Hollow," the southern Suburb, where dwelt the men of Tyre which brought in fish and all manner of ware (Neh. xiii. 15), and after whom the Valley was probably named—howl ye, for all the merchant people are undone, all they that were laden with silver are cut off.
Nebuchadnezzar's generals effected an entrance at the middle gate of the north wall; and Zedekiah, as soon as he knew of it, fled away by night with his bodyguard. Whether living in Solomon's house or David's, his way would be down the Stairs of the City of David into the bed of the Tyropœon; and then we are distinctly told that he fled by the way of the Gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (2 Kings xxv. 4; Jer. xxxix. 4; lii. 7). His plan was to take the route which David had taken when he fled from Absalom. Josephus says "that he fled out of the city through the fortified ditch" ("Antiq." x. 8, 2)—a statement which quite supports our idea that the deep hollow "Suburb" was defended by a transverse wall or dam.
Jeremiah's Prophecy.—In order to encourage the people
