Bible Dictionaries
David, City of

Holman Bible Dictionary

1. The most ancient part of Jerusalem on its southeast corner representing the city occupied by the Jebusites and conquered by David (2 Samuel 5:7 ). The Kidron Valley bordered it on the east, and the Tyropoeon Valley on the west. The entire area occupied no more than ten acres. It is also called Zion. See Jerusalem; Zion . This part of Jerusalem dates back at least to about 2500 B.C., when it is mentioned in the Ebla documents. See Ebla . Its strong defense walls on which the Jebusites prided themselves originated about 1750 B.C.

David moved the ark of the covenant into the city of David (2 Samuel 6:12 ) and built houses in the city, including a place for the ark (1 Chronicles 15:1 ). David was buried there (1 Kings 2:10 ), establishing the burial place for all kings of Judah (1 Kings 11:43; 1 Kings 14:31; 1 Kings 15:8; 2 Kings 8:24; 2 Kings 9:28; 2 Kings 12:21; 2 Kings 14:20; 2Kings 15:7,2 Kings 15:38; 2 Kings 16:20 ). Solomon lived there until he built his own palace and the Temple outside the traditional city of David (1 Kings 3:1 ). At that time he moved the ark of the covenant from the city of David to the new Temple (1 Kings 8:1 ) and moved his wife to the new palace (1 Kings 9:24 ). Solomon did repair the defense system of the old city (1 Kings 11:27 ).

Both Hezekiah (2Chronicles 32:5,2 Chronicles 32:30 ) and Manasseh strengthened the defenses of the city of David, concerned especially with the water supply provided by the Gihon spring (2 Chronicles 33:14 ). See Gihon .

Nehemiah's day saw “stairs that go down from the city of David,” presumably to the rest of the city (Nehemiah 3:15; compare Nehemiah 12:37 ). 2 . Luke used “city of David” to refer to Bethlehem, where both David and Jesus were born (Luke 2:4 ,Luke 2:4,2:11 ).