water, “stopped the upper water course of Gihon, and brought it straight
down to the west side of the city of David” (2 Chronicles 32:30; 33:14).
This “fountain” or spring is therefore to be regarded as the “upper water
course of Gihon.” From this “fountain” a tunnel cut through the ridge
which forms the south part of the temple hill conveys the water to the
Pool of Siloam, which lies on the opposite side of this ridge at the head of
the Tyropoeon (“cheesemakers’”) valley, or valley of the son of Hinnom,
now filled up by rubbish. The length of this tunnel is about 1,750 feet. In
1880 an inscription was accidentally discovered on the wall of the tunnel
about nineteen feet from where it opens into the Pool of Siloam. This
inscription was executed in all probability by Hezekiah’s workmen. It
briefly narrates the history of the excavation. It may, however, be possible
that this tunnel was executed in the time of Solomon. If the “waters of
Shiloah that go softly” (Isaiah 8:6) refers to the gentle stream that still
flows through the tunnel into the Pool of Siloam, then this excavation must
have existed before the time of Hezekiah.
In the upper part of the Tyropoeoan valley there are two pools still
existing, the first, called Birket el-Mamilla, to the west of the Jaffa gate;
the second, to the south of the first, called Birket es-Sultan. It is the
opinion of some that the former was the “upper” and the latter the
“lower” Pool of Gihon (2 Kings 18:17; Isaiah 7:3; 36:2; 22:9). (See
CONDUIT; SILOAM.)
- GILBOA boiling spring, a mountain range, now Jebel Fukua’, memorable
as the scene of Saul’s disastrous defeat by the Philistines. Here also his
three sons were slain, and he himself died by his own hand (1 Samuel 28:4;
31:1-8; 2 Samuel 1:6-21; 21:12; 1 Chronicles 10:1, 8). It was a low barren
range of mountains bounding the valley of Esdraelon (Jezreel) on the east,
between it and the Jordan valley. When the tidings of this defeat were
conveyed to David, he gave utterance to those pathetic words in the “Song
of the Bow” (2 Samuel 1:19-27). - GILEAD hill of testimony, (Genesis 31:21), a mountainous region east of
Jordan. From its mountainous character it is called “the mount of Gilead”
(Genesis 31:25). It is called also “the land of Gilead” (Numbers 32:1), and
sometimes simply “Gilead” (Psalm 60:7; Genesis 37:25). It comprised the
possessions of the tribes of Gad and Reuben and the south part of
Manasseh (Deuteronomy 3:13; Numbers 32:40). It was bounded on the
north by Bashan, and on the south by Moab and Ammon (Genesis 31:21;