En-rogel
Encyclopedia
En-rogel was a famous land-mark near Jerusalem. It was the hiding-place of David
's spies, Jonathan and Ahimaaz
(2 Sam. 17:17), and lay close to the stone Zoheleth
where Adonijah
held a sacrificial feast when he attempted to assert his claims to the throne (1 Kings 1:9). In later times it was one of the boundary marks between Judah
and Benjamin (Josh. 15:7, 18:16). The obviously sacred character of the spring suggests that it is the same as the Dragon Well of Neh. 2:13.
There can be little doubt of its antiquity, and it may well have been a sacred place in pre-Israelite times. The meaning of the name and its identification are uncertain.
The interpretation 'Fuller’s Well' does not bear the mark of antiquity. It is probable that, like Zoheleth, the original name had some sacred or mythic significance.
Two identifications of the place have met with considerable favour: the Virgin’s fountain (‘Ain Sitti Maryam), later ‘Ain Umm ed-Deraj, ‘the only real spring close to Jerusalem,' exactly opposite to which lies ez-Zehweleh, perhaps Zoheleth; and Bir-Eyyub, otherwise known as the Well of Nehemiah, at the junctiion of the W. er-Rababi and Kedron.
Against the latter it is urged that Bir-Eyyub is a well, not a spring, that it lies too far from ez-Zehweleh, that it is in full view of the city, and does not suit the context of 2Sam. 17:17, and that its antiquity is uncertain. The chief points in favour of (1) (which Baed. identifies with Gihon spring
) are: its antiquity and the evidence of Josephus
. (Anti. vii. 14 4), who places the well in the royal gardens. Other arguments based upon the fact that in later times the well was used by fullers
are necessarily precarious.
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
's spies, Jonathan and Ahimaaz
Ahimaaz
Ahimaaz was son and successor of Zadok in the office of high priest . On the occasion of the revolt of Absalom he remained faithful to David, and was of service to him in conveying to him tidings of the proceedings of Absalom in Jerusalem...
(2 Sam. 17:17), and lay close to the stone Zoheleth
Zoheleth
Zoheleth - the serpent-stone, a rocky plateau near the centre of thevillage of Siloam, and near the fountain of En-rogel, to whichthe women of the village resort for water . HereAdonijah feasted all the royal princes except Solomon...
where Adonijah
Adonijah
Adonijah was the fourth son of King David according to the book of Samuel , which is contained in the Bible.-Life:After the death of his elder brothers Amnon and Absalom, he became heir-apparent to the throne, but Solomon, a younger brother, was preferred to him. Adonijah, however, when his father...
held a sacrificial feast when he attempted to assert his claims to the throne (1 Kings 1:9). In later times it was one of the boundary marks between Judah
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
and Benjamin (Josh. 15:7, 18:16). The obviously sacred character of the spring suggests that it is the same as the Dragon Well of Neh. 2:13.
There can be little doubt of its antiquity, and it may well have been a sacred place in pre-Israelite times. The meaning of the name and its identification are uncertain.
The interpretation 'Fuller’s Well' does not bear the mark of antiquity. It is probable that, like Zoheleth, the original name had some sacred or mythic significance.
Two identifications of the place have met with considerable favour: the Virgin’s fountain (‘Ain Sitti Maryam), later ‘Ain Umm ed-Deraj, ‘the only real spring close to Jerusalem,' exactly opposite to which lies ez-Zehweleh, perhaps Zoheleth; and Bir-Eyyub, otherwise known as the Well of Nehemiah, at the junctiion of the W. er-Rababi and Kedron.
Against the latter it is urged that Bir-Eyyub is a well, not a spring, that it lies too far from ez-Zehweleh, that it is in full view of the city, and does not suit the context of 2Sam. 17:17, and that its antiquity is uncertain. The chief points in favour of (1) (which Baed. identifies with Gihon spring
Gihon Spring
The Gihon Spring was the main source of water for the City of David, the original site of Jerusalem. One of the world's major intermittent springs - and a reliable water source that made human settlement possible in ancient Jerusalem - the spring was not only used for drinking water, but also...
) are: its antiquity and the evidence of Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
. (Anti. vii. 14 4), who places the well in the royal gardens. Other arguments based upon the fact that in later times the well was used by fullers
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
are necessarily precarious.