ZION

sunny; height, one of the eminences on which Jerusalem was built. It was surrounded on all sides, except the north, by deep valleys, that of the Tyropoeon (q.v.) separating it from Moriah (q.v.), which it surpasses in height by 105 feet. It was the south-eastern hill of Jerusalem.

When David took it from the Jebusites (Josh. 15:63; 2-Sam 5:7) he built on it a citadel and a palace, and it became "the city of David" (1-Kings 8:1; 2-Kings 19:21, 2-Kings 19: 31; 1-Chr 11:5). In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used (Psa 87:2;149:2; Isa. 33:14; Joel 2:1) to denote Jerusalem in general, and sometimes God's chosen Israel (Psa 51:18;87:5).

In the New Testament (see SION) it is used sometimes to denote the Church of God (Heb. 12:22), and sometimes the heavenly city (Rev. 14:1).