Dung-Gate
Dung-Gate [1]
( שִׁעִר הָאִשְׁפּוֹת, sha'ar ha-ashpoth, Nehemiah 3:14, or שִׁעִר הָאִשְׁפֹּת, 2:13; 12:31; contracted שִׂעִר ה שְׁפוֹת, sha'ar ha-shephoth', 3:13, i.e., gate of the dung-hills; Sept. ἡ πύλη [v. r. in 12:31, τὸ τοίχος ] τῆς κοπρίας; Vulg. porta sterquilinii or [2:13] stercoris; A.V. "dung-port" in 2:13) a gate of ancient Jerusalem on the south-west quarter, 1000 cubits from the Valley Gate ( Nehemiah 3:13) toward the south ( Nehemiah 12:31); a position that fixes it at the SW angle of Matthew Zion (see Strongs Harm. and Expos of the Gospel. App. 2, page 11). It was doubtless so called from the piles of garbage collected in the valley of Tophet (q.v.) below. (See Bethso). (Compare the Esquiline Hill at Rome.) Josephus (War, 5:4, 2) calls it the Gate of the Essenes ( ηΕ῾᾿σσηνῶν πύλη ). (See Jerusalem).
