Footnote 2 – Royal Gateway to Ancient Jerusalem Uncovered

In various translations, “Ophel” is translated in different ways—“citadel,” “tower” or “excrescence” (Jerusalem Bible, 2 Kings 5:24)—or left untranslated, because no one knows its exact meaning. The root “Ophel” (‘PL) should be understood simply as the upper city—the part of a city that is higher than the rest and is enclosed with a wall. The different translations often approach this meaning, but they lack an understanding of the reality behind the word.