Nehemiah 3:6–12

The western wall

The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 7 Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of TransEuphrates. 8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfumemakers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. 10 Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. 11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

When people are named as the restorers of a section of the western wall, this probably means they donated money to pay for the specified section, rather than implies that they did all the work themselves. These people were probably leading citizens of their areas. Gibeon and Mizpah were north of Jerusalem in territory that was apparently not under Nehemiah’s jurisdiction, but under the control of another Persian governor, perhaps Sanballat. If this was the case, these people were taking a special risk by participating. The references to the goldsmiths, perfumers, and to other craftsmen, here and in other sections of the chapter, imply that craftsmen in Israel may have been organized into guilds or associations of some sort.

We have little information about the specific fortifications named in this section. The Broad Wall may be the wall encircling the western hill called Mount Zion. Nehemiah’s refortification program ended at this wall. The work included only the inner walls around the temple mount and Ophel.