THE VALLEYS OF JERUSALEM

Jerusalem is protected by three valleys; the Kidron on the East, the Hinnom on the west and the Tyropoean in between. Due to the rubble and constructions made through centuries, the valleys are not as deep today as they were in biblical times. For instance, the old bed of the Kidron is about 40 feet lower than its present bed. All the three valleys converge just below the pool of Siloam in En-Rogel (2 Samuel 17:17). The upper part where Kidron and Tyropoean converge is known as Ophel.

1). KIDRON VALLEY
It is one of the most historic, strategic and sacred valleys of Jerusalem. "Kidron Valley" separates the Temple Mount / Mount Moriah from the Mount of Olives. It continues east through the Judean Desert, towards the Dead Sea, descending 4000 feet along its 20 mile course. Ancient Jerusalem's only water source, the Gihon spring flowed through this valley. The foundation of the first Jerusalem city was laid near this water source by Jebusites. Kidron is more famously known as the "Emek Yehoshafat / Valley of Jehoshaphat", based on a Scripture reference in Joel. "For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land" (Joel 3:1-2).

Thus, according to Jewish and Christian traditions, it is the valley where God will judge during the end of the world. It is believed that, the resurrection of the dead will begin when the Messiah comes here. Legend has it that a miraculous bridge will appear in the valley at the end of time, over which the righteous will pass on their way to the Temple Mount. The greatest desire of many to be buried here for this reason, transformed a major part of the area into a mass cemetery, predominantly Jewish. No wonder why you find thousands of graves some even dating from 2000 years scattered all around the valley. The Jewish cemetery of Mount Olives is the oldest in the world and has an estimated 150,000 graves. There are also graves of Christians and Muslims in the site.

Kidron is also referred by some as the “Valley of the Shadow of Death,” in Psalm 23:4. They believe that, David wrote Psalm 23 when fleeing from his son, Absalom, across the Kidron Valley. A narrow spring flowed through the Valley of Jehoshaphat, known as the "Brook of Kidron". The same brook is mentioned in the New Testament as crossed frequently by Jesus during his journeys between Jerusalem and Bethany (John 18:1). Here King Asa burned the obscene idols of his mother (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16) and Queen Athaliah was executed (2 Kings 11:16); see also 1 Kings 2:37. Later, it became an area of dumping all impurities (2 Chr. 29:16; 30:14, 2 Kings 23:4, 6, 12); and a common cemetery of the city (2 Kings 23:6; Jeremiah 26:23). Kidron is last mentioned in the Old Testament in Jeremiah 31:40.

2). TYROPOEON VALLEY

Tyropoeon valley separates Temple Mount / Mount Moriah from Mount Zion / City of David. Also known as "Valley of the Cheesemakers", "the Outer Valley" and "the Central Valley", the Tyropoeon valley is now nearly invisible due to having been filled with a vast amount of material - including debris from the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Moreover, most of the valley is inside the present walls of Old City of Jerusalem. The valley was traversed by several bridges and the most historical was the "Zion Bridge" that connected the palace of King David and King Solomon with the Temple Mount. A fragment of an arch of this bridge, called “Robinson's Arch”, was discovered by Edward Robinson in 1838 and is still visible. No doubt, the most important monument in the valley today is the Western Wall

3). HINNOM VALLEY
Hinnom valley is alternately known as "Gehenna". The word Gehenna is derived from "Ge Hinnom" which means "Valley of Hinnom" in Hebrew. It is same as "Gai Ben-Hinnom" or the "valley of the son of Hinnom," where children were sacrificed to the pagan God Moloch (Joshua 15:8; II Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 2:23; 7:31-32; 19:6, 13-14). Gehenna gradually evolved to a valley of slaughter. Many believe that it will be used in the future (end times) as a place of punishment for the wicked. There is even a Jewish tradition that the valley had a 'gate' to hell! In the New Testament, the word Gehenna is even directly translated to “hell” (Mathew 5:22, 29). The valley has also given its name to Islam's hell, Jahannam. In Old Testament, the term Gehenna appears 13 times (Joshua 15:8, 18:16, II Kings 23:10, II Chronicles 28:3, II Chronicles 33:6, Nehemiah 11:30, Jeremiah 7:31-32, 19:2, 19:6, 32:35). Jesus uses the word Gehenna 11 times to describe the place of eternal torment (Mathew 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5). Gehenna appears for one more time in New Testament in the epistle of James (3:6)

Apart from being once the slaughter house of young children sacrificed to pagan Gods, the valley later turned into a garbage dump of Jerusalem where fires kept always burning. Dead bodies of criminals and the carcasses of animals were dumped in Gehenna. Gradually, the valley had the image of a place of everlasting destruction and so much filth, evil and darkness. In Judaism, until the Diaspora began, every year on the Yom Kippur day, the scapegoat (Azazel) bearing the sins of the entire Israel was sent into the Valley Hinnom to perish. Christianity attributes location of Akeldama (where Judas hanged himself) and the "House of Annas" (who sentenced Christ to death) in this valley. No wonder, why Gehenna is sometimes considered as the figurative equivalent for "hell."