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Hulda Gate
The eastern set of Hulda gates as it stands today.
Location in Old Jerusalem
General information
Town or city	Jerusalem
Country	Israel

The Huldah Gates are the two sets of now-blocked gates in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount, situated in Jerusalem's Old City. The western set is a double arched gate (the double gate), and the eastern is a triple arched gate (the triple gate). Each arch of the double gate led into an aisle of a passageway leading from the gate into the Mount, and to steps leading to the Mount's surface; when the al-Aqsa Mosque was built, the old steps were blocked, and the eastern aisle lengthened so that new steps from its end would exit north of the Mosque. The triple gate is similar, though the longer aisle is to the west, and its third aisle, on the east, forms the western boundary of the vaulted area known as Solomon's Stables.

Name

The name "Huldah gates" (Shaarei Chulda) is taken from the description of the Temple Mount in the Mishnah (Tractate of Midot 1:3). Accepted opinion amongst scholars is that the Mishna's description refers to the sanctified area of the Temple Mount in the Hasmonean period. Therefore, calling the gates found in the current southern wall "Huldah" would be an anachronism, as the base of that wall is part of Herod's post-Hasmonean extension of the Temple Mount.

Two possible etymologies are given for the name: "Huldah" means "mole" or "mouse" in Hebrew, and the tunnels leading up from these gates called to mind the holes or tunnels used by these animals. Alternatively, in a possible folk etymology, the First Temple prophetess Huldah was said to have held court in this area and, indeed, her tomb was placed here by some as well.

Past excavations

The 19th century excavations of the area by Charles Warren discovered an erratic series of passageways under the triple gate, some leading below the wall and beyond the Mount's southern edge. The purpose and age of these passages are unknown, and more recent archaeologists have not been allowed to investigate due to the political volatility of the site. The passageways from both gates are now used by the waqf as mosques.

Gallery

• Pilgrim steps as they approach the Double Gate
• Triple Gates
• Visible portion of Double Gate
• Double Gate
• Triple Gate
• Triple Gate
• Triple Gate
• Triple Gate in 1855 photo

References

1. Encyclopædia Judaica (ed. 1972), vol. 15, pp. 963-4
2. 2 Kgs 22:14-20
3. Encyclopedia Judaica (ed. 1972), vol. 8, p. 1063
4. (Tos. Neg. 6:2)Encyclopædia Judaica (ed. 1972), vol. 9, p. 1553
5. Encyclopædia Judaica (ed. 1972), vol. 9, p. 1525

v t e Old City of Jerusalem and its walls
World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1981 Sorted by religions
Christianity	"Status Quo" Church of the Holy Sepulchre Deir es-Sultan Chapel of Saint Helena Via Dolorosa See also: New Church of the Theotokos Catholic Latin (Patriarch) Co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Franciscans (Custos) Monastery of Saint Saviour Monastery of the Flagellation Church of the Condemnation Church of the Flagellation Chapel of Simon of Cyrene Convent of the Sisters of Zion Church of Saint Anne Church of the Holy Family Defunct Church of Saint James Intercisus Church of Saint Mary of the Germans Church of Saint Mary of the Latins Templum Domini Melkite Catholic (Patriarch) Cathedral of the Annunciation Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Sorrows Maronite Catholic Maronite Convent Eastern Orthodox Greek Orthodox (Patriarch) Church of Saint John the Baptist Oriental Orthodox Armenian Orthodox (Patriarch) Cathedral of Saint James Church of the Holy Archangels Church of Saint Toros Syriac Orthodox Monastery of Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox (Archbishop) Deir es-Sultan Protestant Anglican Communion Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East Christ Church Lutheran Protestant Church in Germany Church of the Redeemer	Areas, quarters Christian Quarter Muristan Muslim Quarter Armenian Quarter Jewish Quarter Temple Mount Gates 1. Jaffa 2. Zion 3. Dung 4. Golden 5. Lions 6. Herod 7. Damascus 8. New (Double, Single, Tanners') Al-Mawazin Surrounding streets, roads: Highway 60 Jaffa Road Jericho Ma'ale HaShalom Ofel Sultan Suleiman
Islam (Sunni Islamic Grand Mufti)	Al-Aqsa (Waqf) Qibli Mosque Dome of the Ascension Dome of the Chain Dome of al-Khidr Dome of al-Khalili Dome of the Prophet Dome of the Rock Dome of Yusuf Madrasa Al-Ashrafiyya Marwani Mosque Other mosques Al-Buraq Mosque Al-Yaqoubi Mosque Al-Khanqah al-Salahiyya Mosque Mosque of Omar Al Dissi Mosque Sidna Omar Mosque
Judaism (Sephardic/Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis)	General Southern Wall Western Wall Western Wall Tunnel Little Western Wall Orthodox Jewish Ramban Synagogue Ari Synagogue Four Sephardic Synagogues Ohr ha-Chaim Synagogue Tzuf Dvash Synagogue Hurva Synagogue Ohel Yitzchak Synagogue Defunct Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue
Remnants or rebuilt buildings in italic Israel portal Palestine portal Christianity portal Islam portal Judaism portal

31°46′33.4″N 35°14′11.8″E / 31.775944°N 35.236611°E / 31.775944; 35.236611

• Gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls
• Temple Mount