Gihon Spring and En Rogel

Knowing the geography of some of the Biblical locations allows you to understand and enjoy the stories even more. Such is the case with the locations of the Gihon Spring and En Rogel. Both of these locations were involved in David's appointment of Solomon as the next king of Israel. This story can be read in 1 Kings 1. As David was getting old, one of his sons, Adonijah took it upon himself to appoint himself as the successor to David. Adonijah rounded up a number of officials and threw a feast at En Rogel. When Nathan the prophet heard about it, he and Bathsheba approached David and told him what was happening. David immediately arranged for Solomon to be appointed king in a ceremony at the Gihon Spring.

By reading the Biblical account, it is not immediately obvious how close these two locations are. Depending on exactly where Adonijah was, they were probably around a half a mile apart. Clearly, they were close enough so that you could hear the loud noises from either location.

(NOTE: The picture above is a picture that I took in 2010 of the approximate location of En Rogel near the intersections of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys. The picture was taken from upon the southern end of the City of David.)

Currently, Luke Chandler is in Israel participating in an excavation of Khirbet Qeiyafa near the Valley of Elah. On a day off, he traveled to Jerusalem and posted a video showing these two locations and their relationship to this story in greater detail.