Tyropoeon (1 Kings 3:1; 9:15; 11:27).

Without referring to the various buildings which Solomon reared, it may be safely asserted that the city

must have rapidly increased in population. Indeed, during the prosperous reign of Solomon it probably

attained as large, if not larger, proportions than at any time before the Exile. The wealthier part of the

population occupied the western terraces of the west hill - the Upper City - the streets running north and

south. The eastern slopes of the west hill were covered by "the middle city" (2 Kings 20:4, marginal

rendering). It will have been noticed, that as yet only the southern parts of both the eastern and western

hills of Jerusalem had been built over King Solomon now reared the Temple on Mount Moriah, which

formed the northern slope of the eastern hill, while the increase of the population soon led to building

operations on the side of the western hill opposite to it. Here the city extended beyond the old wall, nort h of

"the middle city," occupying the northern part of the Tyropoeon. This was "the other" or "second part of

the city" (2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22; Nehemiah 11:9, the "maktesh" or "mortar" of Zephaniah 1:11).

Here was the real business quarter, with its markets, "fishgate," "sheepgate," and bazaars, such as the

"Baker Street" (Jeremiah 37:21), the quarters of the goldsmiths and other merchants (Nehemiah 3:8, 32), the

"valley of the cheesemongers," etc. This suburb must have been soon enclosed by a wall. We do not know

when or by whom the latter was commenced, but we have notices of its partial destruction (2 Kings 14:13; 2

Chronicles 25:23), and of its repair (2 Chronicles 32:5).

We have purposely not taken account of the towers and gates of the city, since what has been described

will sufficiently explain the location of the great palace which Solomon built during the thirteen years after

the completion of the Temple (1 Kings 7:1-12; 2 Chronicles 8:1). Its site was the eastern terrace of the

western hill, probably the same as that afterwards occupied by the palace of the Asmonaeans (Maccabees)

and of Agrippa II. The area covered by this magnificent building was four times that of the Holy House (not

including its courts). It stood right over against the Temple. A descent led from the Palace into the

Tyropoeon, and thence a special magnificent "ascent" (2 Chronicles 9:4) to the royal entrance (2 Kings

16:18), probably at the south-western angle of the Temple. The site was happily chosen - protected by Fort

Millo, and looking out upon the Temple -Mount, while south of it stretched the wealthy quarter of the city.

Ascending from the Tyropoeon, one would pass through a kind of ante-building into a porch, and thence

into a splendid colonnade. This colonnade connected "the house of the forest of Lebanon," so called from

the costly cedars used in its construction, with "the porch for the throne," where Solomon pronounced

judgment (1 Kings 7:6, 7). Finally, there was in the inner court, still further west, "the house where Solomon

dwelt," and "the house for Pharaoh's daughter," with, of course, the necessary side and outbuildings (1

Kings 7:8). Thus, the royal palace really consisted of three separate buildings. Externally it was simply of

"costly stones" (ver. 9), the beauty of its design only appearing in its interior. Here the building extended

along three sides. The ground-floor consisted of colonnades of costly cedar, the beams being fastened into

the outer walls. These colonnades would be hung with tapestry , so as to be capable of being formed into

apartments. Above these rose, on each side of the court, three tiers of chambers, fifteen on each tier, with

large windows looking out upon each other. Here were the State apartments for court feasts, and in them

were kept, among other precious things, the golden targets and shields (1 Kings 10:16, 17). Passing through

another colonnade, one would next reach the grand Judgment- and Audience-halls, with the magnificent

throne of ivory, described in 1 Kings 10:18-20; 2 Chronicles 9:17-19. And, lastly, the innermost court

contained the royal dwellings themselves.139

But this great Palace, the Temple, and the enlargement of Millo and of the city wall, were not the only

architectural undertakings of King Solomon. Remembering that there were watchful foes on all sides, he

either built or repaired a number of strong places. In the north, as defense against Syria, rose the ancient

stronghold of Hazor (Joshua 11:13; Judges 4:2). The plain of Jezreel, the traditional battlefie ld of, as well as

the highway into Palestine from the west and the north, was protected by Megiddo; while the southern

approach from Egypt and the Philistine plain was guarded by Gezer, which Pharaoh had before this taken

from the Canaanites and burnt, but afterwards given to his daughter as dowry on her marriage with

Solomon. Not far from Gezer, and serving a similar defensive purpose, rose the fortress of Baalath, in the

possession of Dan (comp. Josephus, Ant. 8, 6, 1). The eastern and northeastern parts of Solomon's