* On the other hand, it may be nminUiined that 2 S &s simply dcw-ritK-a the manner of tlic comiuettt of v.^, anil ttiat '/.inn* waH the Jebusite atrongbold. The pamoye It certainly anibi)^- oiia.
vallev of ninnom ; but it is suggested, that while the Kidron is only the name for the small narrow portion of the valley east of the temple, the valley of Hinnom is the name of the whole valley reach- ing from near the Russian hospice to the Dead Sea, wliieh is now called JVadi/ en-Xdr or the Valley of Fire. ' The head of this valley of Uinnom or Kidron commences near the JaUa road, a mile and a half north-west of Jerusalem, and runs along the northern side of the Tombs of the Kings' (liecovery of Jems. p. 291). Thus the boundary-line, after leaving the vallej' of H. on the east of the temple, again approaches it north-west of Jerusalem at the higlii-st point of the land, i.e. to the ' top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward ' (Jos 15').
As all writers appear to concur in consideting that the position of Tophet in the valley cf Hinnom was in the vicinity of Siloam, near the junction of the three valleys which are about Jerusalem, on the level ground there, it seems quite immaterial, so far as Tophet is concerned, which of those valleys was Hinnom, and the interest in this matter lies in the question, already answered, connected with the topography of Jeru- salem as to the position of the city of David.
A brief description is here given of these three valleys —
(1) The Kidron Valley will alone suit the require- ments of Jos 15'* 18'", if En-rogel is to be accepted as identical with the Virfrin's Fountain in the Kidron, as from thence the line 'went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom.' This identilication allows of the partition of Jerusalem between Judah and Benjamin, and suits the requirements of OT, Books of Maccabees, Jo.sephus, Talmud- ists, Jerome, and Jewish and Arab tradition. It also meets the requirement of Jos 15' and 18'", under which tlie boundary-line twice apjuoaclics the valley of H., — lirst at En-rogel, and secondly at the top of the mountain before the valley ot H. eastward. Against this identihc.ation is the use of the word gai in connexion with the valley gate ; but this objection is involved in the identifica- tion it.self of the nahal Kidron and the gai Hinnom aa one and the same.
(2) The centre valley (or Tyropceon of Josephus), reaching from near the Jaffa ^ate or the Dama.scus gate to Siloam, has been identified by W. U. Smith (Enojc. Brit.' ' Jerusalem '), Sayce [PEFSt, 1883, p. 213), Birch (PEFSt, p. 179), and Schwartz (Das II. L. p. 190), as the valley of Hinnom. This appears to necessitate the B!r Eytlb being identified as En-rogel, although Birch expressly states that the Virgin's Fountain is En-rogel. The line pass- ing np the Tyropceon Valley separates the eastern mount from the western, and tlius places part of the city, but none of the teniide courts, in Judah. The difficulty about adopting this valley as the valley of H. is that it exists only in Jerusalem. It begins at the Damascus ghte or at the Jalla pate, and ends at the pool of Siloam. It is an important division in the city of Jeru.salem, but it IS very insignificant compared with the valleys to east and west of the city. It cannot fulfil either of the conditions of extending as far as the moun- tain that lieth before the valley of II., or as far as the'emek where Tophet was: a glance at the map or model will show that it is a geographical impossi- bility to consider the gardens below Siloam as part of tlie central valley. The.se gardens clearly be- long to the junction of the ea.tt and west valleys. There is thus no part of the central valley where the high places of Tojjhet and Baal could have been built.
(3) The identification of the Jf'ildi/ er-RubAh.h as the valley of H. has hitherto been generoUy accepted among Western writers, though Jowiidi-
588
HINXOM, VALLEY OF
HIRAM
Aiali tradition is against it. This valley coiii- uiences as an 'ciiie/y to tlio nortli-west of Jerusalem, and fullils the condition of reacliiiig ' tlie mountain which lieth over against tlie valley of H. to the westward'; it passes W.S.W. towards the JalTa gate, then to south, and again trends round to the west and joins the Kidron near Siloam, thus com- passing Jerusalem to the west and south. Two large reservoirs are built in it — the Birket Matnillu above, and the Birket cs-Siiltdn below the JalTa gate ; its description in detail is given in the article J ERl'.SALEM. At the junction of this vallcv with the Kidron it again forms an 'fm«i or helds (Jer SI"). Rut to identify the WAJ;/ cr-JiuUlhch with the valley of H. ap[iears to require Enrogcl to be located at the Bir Eyiib, and the whole of Jerusalem to be in Benjamin.