Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

600 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
being divided by a small side valley of the Tyropaeon, coming
from the west, into a northerly half connecting with the
high land, and into a southerly isolated half. The east ridge
broke into three spurs. The northerly one, also connected
with the Plateau in
the north, was separated from the south
by a depression which, running through under the northeast
corner of the present Temple place, opened into the
Kidron valley ;
the second or middle spur, the Temple hill
proper, was separated from the third southerly spur by a
small ravine. The former existence of the latter depression
was "first disclosed through the excavations of the German
Palestine Society.
A word must be said with regard to the ancient names of
these hills. It is a fact acknowledged lately, even on the
Catholic side, that the name Zion belongs to the east hill
Jerusalem and not to the west hill. Through a misunderstanding
of the Biblical references, tradition has with great
persistency applied the name Moriah to the lower but more
precipitous east hill, and the name Zion to the higher and
flatter west hill. These two names, however, designate one
and the same hill, the mount on which the Temple stood,
on which also the palace of David and Solomon and the
City of David are to be sought. The results of the excavations
and the examination of the ground have made it
possible, with still greater accuracy, to determine the location
of the palaces of David and Solomon, though not a
trace of these buildings has been found.
The ancient east hill, whose original form as it now lies
buried under debris has been ascertained with reasonable
accuracy by means of excavations, is
of
an extraordinarilv narrow
arm of the high plateau. Of its three spurs or elevations
only the middle one, on which the present Haram
stands, has a fairly level surface of any considerable extent,
or that could be readilv made so. This is about 330
feet long and 130 to 165 feet wide. In situation this area