The Hinnom Valley

 I thought a little tutorial on the 2 most famous valleys of Jerusalem might be helpful.  In the artists rendering at right, you see the City of David as it might have appeared during the reigns of Kings David and Solomon.  The temple would eventually have been built on the north or near the top of the rendering. King David's castle was was about where the little brown blob is, on the north end.  To the right of the city, you can see the foot of the Mt of Olives.  Mt Scopus is the next hill.  The deep valley between the city and the mountains is the Kidron Valley.  To the left of the city is another valley called the Hinnom Valley.  In the early years you can see that both valleys were farmed.  The Gihon Spring is near the tip of the city on the right or east side and provided water for farming and for the city.  The city was perhaps a mile to a mile and a half long, and less than a mile wide.   Eventually in Old Testament times, the Kidron Valley became a cemetery and the Hinnom Valley became "cinema row" and the "red light" district of Jerusalem.

 In this photo we are standing on the north end of David's city.  The white looking hill is the south end of the Mt. of Olives.  It looks white, because it is covered with Jewish graves.  That whole area is grave almost on grave.  The brown is the bottom of the Kidron Valley.  The path is in and by now it will be landscaped and planted with Rosemary, shrubs and trees.  On the left side of the photo, you can see the south/east corner of the temple/old city wall.

 This is the Hinnom Valley.  It is mostly used as a garden, now.  There is only a music conservatory and one large outdoor amphitheater set up on the north/west end, where the ruins of Suleman's pool are.   Here it was in ancient times that Jews sacrificed their children to Molech, by burning them alive, as described in Jeremiah 32:35.  Baal and Ashtoroth plays of violence and sex often preceded the immolation of children.  The valley was populated by prostitutes, actors and false gods in ancient times.  For this idolatry and the murder of children, the Lord first lead out some of the righteous, such as Lehi and then allowed Babylon to overthrow and carry the Jews off captive to Babylon.

     It was also through this valley that the soldiers compelled Christ to go to be judged before Caiaphas.
    Tradition also says that it was in this valley that Judas Iscariot hung himself after betraying the Lord and then trying to buy Christ back, unsuccessfully, by throwing back the 30 pieces of silver that had given him to to betray Jesus .
    As you can tell there is a depressing spirit that seems to linger in this valley.