Nehemiah 3:15

REGARDING THE WALL INCLUDING THE FOUNTAIN GATE

"And the fountain gate repaired Shellun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall by the pool of Shelab by the king's garden even unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and unto the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty men. After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the district of Keilah, for his district. After him repaired their brethren, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah. And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another portion, over against the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall. After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the High Priest. After him repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz another portion, from the door of house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. And after him repaired the priests, the men of the Plain. And after them repaired Benjamin and Hasshub over against their house. After them repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah beside his own house. After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another portion, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, and unto the corner. Palal the son of Uzai repaired over against the turning of the wall, and the tower that standeth out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh repaired. (Now the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that standeth out.) After him, the Tekoites repaired another portion, over against the great tower that standeth out, and unto the wall of Ophel."

It is significant that many of the prominent citizens of Jerusaelm, whose houses were near the wall, elected to repair that section of the wall that was beside their: houses. This is easily understood, because their own personal safety and security were thus procured and protected.

The exact locations and extent of each one of these various "repairs," although unknown to us, and vigorously disputed as to details by special scholars in the topography of ancient Jerusalem, are nevertheless of little interest to present day Christians. The big point in all of this is simply that the total population of Judah and Jerusalem enthusiastically joined hands and hearts and re-fortified the ancient city. No doubt, those walls were finished, during the period when Sanballat and Tobiah were either sending someone, or going themselves to see Artaxerxes I in the hope of stopping it. Such a journey, round trip, would have taken at least six or eight months; and long prior to that, the walls were completed, the great gates rebuilt, the bolts and the bars put in place, and the city secured by the military. What a magnificent achievement!