Ophel

Ophel, meaning hill/mound is the name of the the long, narrow, rounded promontory beyond the southern edge of the Temple Mount in East Jerusalem, with the Tyropoeon Valley (valley of the cheesemakers) on its west, the Hinnom valley to the south, and the Kidron Valley on the east. The previously deep valley (the Tyropoeon) separating Ophel from what is now referred to as the ''Old City'' of Jerusalem currently lies hidden beneath the accumulated debris of centuries. Despite the name, the Old City of Jerusalem dates from a much later time than the settlement on Ophel, which is generally considered to have been the original Jerusalem; ironically Ophel lies outside the Old City walls.