Fish Gate

The Fish Gate is a named gate in the wall of Jerusalem, mentioned in the Chronicler's account of Manasseh's outer wall, in Nehemiah's rebuilding and dedication of the city wall, and in Zephaniah's oracle of approaching judgment on the city.

Manasseh's outer wall

The earliest reference appears in the description of Manasseh's fortification of Jerusalem after his return from exile. "Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he surrounded Ophel [with it], and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah" (2Ch 33:14). The Fish Gate marks the entrance toward which the outer wall ran.

Rebuilt under Nehemiah

In the wall-building roll of Nehemiah 3 the gate is rebuilt by name: "And the fish gate the sons of Hassenaah built; they laid its beams, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars" (Ne 3:3).

At the dedication, the procession passes the gate as part of its circuit of the wall: "and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of the Hundred, even to the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard" (Ne 12:39).

Zephaniah's day of Yahweh

In the prophet's announcement of judgment on Jerusalem, the gate is one of the points from which the noise of disaster will rise. "And in that day, says Yahweh, there will be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills" (Zep 1:10).