1. Hill or mound in Samaria where Elisha’s house stood (2 Kgs 5:24).
2. Fortification in the southeast portion of ancient Jerusalem high above the slopes of the Brook Kidron, strengthened by Jotham (2 Chr 27:3) and Manasseh (33:14). Isaiah described the destruction of such a fortress when prophesying the judgment of God upon Jerusalem (Is 32:14). After the exile, the temple servants lived there and repaired its walls (Neh 3:26–27; 11:21). Josephus states that it was near the temple. Archaeological excavations at the traditional site in Jerusalem reveal fortifications dating from pre-Israelite times to the Maccabean period.→ View encyclopedia entry