II. 7. of the val veh, or the In Gen. xiv. 17, 18. we read, that the King of Sodom CHA P. went out to meet Abraham (after his return from the flaughter of Chedorlaomer) at the valley of Shaveh, which is the King's dale. And Melchifedek King of Salem brought forth bread and wine. Hence it is reasonably inferred, that this valley of ley of ShaShaveh lay near to Salem, and that the King's dale here men- King's dale. tioned is no other than the King's dale, wherein Abfalom is faid to rear up for himself a pillar, 2 Sam. xviii. 18. This place was diftant (as Jofephus informs us, Antiq. b. vii. chap. 9.) but two furlongs from Jerufalem, as it was in his time. It is thought by fome, that this King's dale was no other than the valley of Jehoshaphat lying on the east of Jerufalem, between it and mount Olivet; others make it different, yet so as to come up near to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and to lie on the fouth-east part of the city, near to the King's gardens. Whether it took the name of the King's dale from this its fituation near to the King's gardens or palace, or from its being the place where the Kings were wont to exercise themfelves, or at least to entertain themselves in feeing others perform the exercises of running, riding, or the like, is not agreed, and is impoffible to be determined. 8. Of the fort Another place mentioned in the facred History as appertaining to Jerufalem, before it was taken by David, is the of Zion. fort or ftrong bold of Zion. Zion or Sion is a mountain or hill on the fouth of old Jerufalem, and higher than the hill on which old Jerufalem ftood. For this hill seems to be denoted in Josephus * by the name of Acra, than which he expressly afferts the hill, on which the upper city stood, to be higher. But the upper city is, I think, agreed by all to be the same with the city of David, and the Scripture + expressly afferts the city of David to be the fame with the ftrong hold of Zion. Whence it neceffarily follows, that the hill of Zion was higher than the other hill, on which the old city of Jerusalem ftood. Hereupon this hill of Zion was made choice of as a proper place to build a fort or citadel upon, whilst it was in the hands of the Jebufites. For that there was a fort or * Jewish War, b. vi. chap. 6. † 2 Sam. v. 7. strong II. CHAP. ftrong hold built thereon during that time, is evident from 2 Sam. v. 7. where we read, that notwithstanding the great confidence the Jebufites seem to have had in the strength of this fort, yet David took the strong hold of Zion; which, I think, plainly implies, that there was a strong hold on Zion before David took it. of David. After that David had taken from the Jebufites the fort of Of the city Zion, the Scripture tells us, that he called it the city of David; forafmuch as he built hereon, not only a royal palace for himself, but also feveral other buildings, fo as to rife to the largeness of a city, taking up in after-reigns the greatest part, if not all, of mount Sion. The largeness of this city of Da* vid is denoted, 2 Sam. v. 9. by this expreffion: David built round about from Millo and inward. The meaning whereof has very much exercised commentators, especially as to the word Millo; which therefore I shall somewhat the longer infift upon. 10. what. The Hebrew word, confidered as to its etymology or deriMillo, vation, is probably thought to be deduced from a root fignifying to be full, or filled. Hence fome, and among them the Rabbi Kimchi (as the learned Buxtorf has obferved), suppose Millo to be used in the facred Hiftory to denote a large capacious place, defigned for public meetings, and which was therefore called Millo, from its being used to be full of people at fuch times. And this fenfe of the word is very applicable to Judg. ix. 6. where it first occurs in the facred History. For when it is there faid, that all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech King, hereby may be probably denoted thus much, that as all the men of Shechem, i. e. all the commonalty or inferior inhabitants, fo alfo all the houfe of Millo, i. e. all the principal inhabitants who made up the governing part of the city, and were wont to affemble together in the public town-house, or guild-hall, did consent to and attend on the setting up of Abimelech for King. And accordingly the place at Jerufalem called by the fame name of Millo is thought to have been defigned for much the fame ufe. That it was fome public building may, I think, be probably inferred II. ferred from the peculiar notice taken of it among the other CHAP. public works of Solomon. For in 1 Kings ix. 15. we read, that the reason of the levy (or tax), which King Solomon raised, was this; for to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerufalem, &c. Where fince we find Millo joined with the house of the Lord, and the royal palace, it may probably be inferred, that it was alfo itself a public building, or house, especially fince it is expressly called, 2 Kings xii. 20. the house of Millo. And the circumstance, for which it is mentioned in this laft text, feems further to confirm the opinion I am speaking of, that Millo was a place where the principal perfons of the state did meet together. For we are told in the faid text, that the fervants of King Joath arofe, and made a conspiracy, and flew him in the house of Millo; namely, when he was come thither probably to debate or confult with his princes, and other principal perfons, upon some state affair. An instance of the like nature is very well known to all, that have any acquaintance with the Roman history, in reference to the murder of the famous Julius Cæfar, flain in the senate-house at Rome, by a party that had formed a confpiracy against him, and thought no place more proper to put it in execution, than the faid Roman Millo, or fenate-house. As, from what has been faid, it may, not without probability, be supposed, that the house at Jerufalem, called Millo, was a public house of state; so I think, from what is faid concerning the fame, in 2 Chron. xxxii. 5. it may be further inferred, that this public house of state was also a sort of armoury, or place where arms were wont to be kept; or at least a place of more than ordinary ftrength. For in the chapter last cited we read, that when Hezekiah faw that Sennacherib was come, and was purposed to fight against Jerusa lem, he took counsel with his princes; and, among other things thought proper to be done on that occasion, he strengthened himself and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it. up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance. Now it being in this place particularly said, that among other methods II. CHAP. methods ufed by Hezekiah to fortify Jerufalem against Sennacherib, one was this, the repairing Millo; hence it natu→ rally follows, that Millo was a place of more than ordinary importance to the ftrength of the city Jerufalem. And fince, immediately after the repairing of Millo, there is mention of making darts and shields in abundance, this may poffibly proceed from the defect of these found to be in the house of Millo, where they were ufually referved against times of war, or the like occafions. TI. 'Millo, ated. The fituation of the house of Millo is expressly faid in this where fitu- 32d. chapter of Chronicles, ver. 5. to be in the city of David; and fo either upon mount Sion, or fome place adjoining thereto. And it is further remarkable, that though it be faid. in 2 Sam. v. 9. that David built round about from Millo and inward, yet it seems evident, that this must be understood. proleptically, i. e. as if it had been faid, David built round about, from that place where Millo was afterwards built by Solomon. For it is exprefsly faid, 1 Kings ix. 15. that Solomon raised a levy to build (among other places) Millo; and ver. 24. of the fame chapter it is faid, or at leaft plainly intimated, that after Solomon had built an houfe or palace for the daughter of Pharaoh, his queen, then he built Millo. 12. Another cerning Millo. But there is another opinion concerning this Millo at Jeo inioncon- rufalem, which is not to be paffed by in filence, because embraced by feveral learned men. Whereas then there was a valley or hollow, that lay between mount Sion and the other mount or hill, on which the old city, or the city of Melchifedek, ftood; they fuppofed Solomon filled up this hollow, and had it evened so as that from mount Sion to mount Moriah, on which he built the Temple, there was a plain even way. Whence the way or caufey thus made by filling up the forementioned hollow, they fuppofe to be called Millo, in reference to the fignification of the root, whence this word is thought to be derived, the faid root (as has been before obferved) fignifying to be full, or filled up. That there was a caufey raised by Solomon from mount Sion to the Temple, they infer from 2 Chron. ix. 11. where it is faid, that the King made terraces to the house of the Lord, and to the King's palace. palace. The word here rendered terraces, may be otherwise CHA P. tranflated (as is obferved in the margin of our Bible) flays or fupports, to keep up the faid terraces. But in neither sense will these last words amount to a good proof, that the said terraces or causeys were such as were made by filling up the hollow between mount Sion and mount Moriah. And therefore I rather think the opinion I am now fpeaking of concerning the import of the name Millo is wholly founded on the vulgar Latin version of 1 Kings xi. 27. For whereas the latter part of this text is rendered in our translation agreeably to the Hebrew, thus: Solomon built Millo, and repaired (or clofed) the breaches of the city of David his father; inftead hereof, in the vulgar Latin verfion it is rendered after this manner: Salomon ædificavit Mello, et coæquavit voraginem civitatis David patris fui; i. e. Salomon built Mello, and evened the hollow of the city of David his father. How the author of this Latin verfion came thus to render the Hebrew text, is hard to conjecture; the Hebrew words, which he renders, coæquavit voraginem, evened the hollow, having no affinity thereto, and therefore he is fingle in his interpretation, all the other ancient interpreters following the fame fense that our tranflators have done. Particularly it is not fo easy to account, how the Latin interpreter came to make choice of the word vorago; unless in the faid hollow or small deep valley there was a whirlpool or quagmire, as the faid word does properly denote in the Latin tongue. In fhort, it seems to me (confidering the several ancient verfions, and what is faid by commentators) most probable, that Solomon made a noble magnificent way from the royal palace on mount Sion, to the temple on mount Moriah, and in order hereunto there was a noble caufey raised across the valley between the faid two mountains; not fo high as to make the way all along upon a level, but, however, so as to make the ascent and descent from one to the other very easy. Hence, as we read (1 Kings x. 5.) of the afcent by which Solomon went up unto the house of the Lord, and (1 Chron. xxvi. 16.) of the caufey of the going up or ascent; fo we read (2 Kings xii. 20.) that Foafh was flain in the house of Millo, which |
