OPHEL
“prominence” or “tower.”
Name of the southern area of the hill located east of Jerusalem, inside the fortification.
It is possible that at first it was a large circular tower, or the extension, in this place, of the fortified work. The texts indicate that Ophel was not far away:
from the pool of Shelakh (Siloam),
from the prison yard,
from the gate of waters,
of the horse gate (Neh. 3:15-27).
Josephus mentions, near Ophel, the pool of Siloam, the eastern courtyard of the Temple, the Kidron Valley (Wars 5:4, 1 and 2; 6:1).
Jotham erected great buildings on the walls of this hill; Manasseh increased his height (2 Chron. 27:3; 33:14). After the exile, if not before, the Nethinim resided in this neighborhood adjacent to the Temple (Neh. 3:26; 11:21).