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| Dung Gate interior (circa 1900) |
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| Dung Gate interior (circa 1940) |
The original Dung Gate is mentioned in the book of Nehemiah 3:13. Close to the Temple Mount and facing the ancient City of David and the Shiloach spring, the original gate was probably well traversed. The gate is at the lowest point of the walls, and indeed it was probably used for removing refuse and possibly ashes from the Temple. A major drainage tunnel near the gate, more than 600 meters long and dating back at least to Herod's days, has recently been discovered and cleared and opened for tourists.
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| "Ash heaps from the Temple sacrifices" 1898 |
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| Dung Gate today. Note the small arch of the original Ottoman gate on top of the larger opening |
The Ottoman-built gate was small and narrow, the upper arch of which is still visible above today's gate. In 1952, during Jordan's occupation of the Old City, the gate was widened to permit vehicles to enter. The opening was reinforced with cement posts. The gate was renovated by Israel after 1967 to match the Ottoman stone and design.
See previous photo essays on the Zion Gate, Damascus Gate, Golden Gate and Lions Gate.
I'm not sure the photos are of the same location in the wall. If you visit the Dung Gate, you will see that there is another entrance a few meters to the west (ie to your right if you are inside the gate). That is the gate in the old photos (as far as I can tell).
ReplyDeleteMoshe
ReplyDeleteYou're referring to Tanners' Gate, a medieval gate that was discovered in the 1980s and opened as a pedestrian entry. Archeologists found vats and pools around the gate and concluded that the tanners worked in the area.