- on the top:
- The ancient fortified cities were generally strengthened with a citadel ("And when all¹ the menª of the towerª of Shechemª heardª° [that], they enteredª° into¹ an holdª of the houseª of the godª Berith.ª" {Jdg 9:46} + "But there was¹ a strongª towerª withinª the city,ª and thither¹ fledª° all¹ the men²¹ and women,ª and all¹ theyª of the city,ª and shutª° [it] to¹ them, and gat them upª° to¹ the topª of the tower.ª" {Jdg 9:51}), commonly built on an eminence, to which they ascended by a flight of stairs ("But the gateª of the fountainª repairedª° Shallunª the sonª of Colhozeh,ª the rulerª of partª of Mizpah;ª he¹ builtª° it, and coveredª° it, and set upª° the doorsª thereof, the locksª thereof, and the barsª thereof, and the wallª of the poolª of Siloahª by the king'sª garden,ª and unto¹ the stairsª that go downª° from the cityª¹ of David.ª" {Neh 3:15}). It is extremely probable, therefore, that Ramoth-gilead, being a frontier town of Israel and Syria, had a tower of this nature; and that Jehu was proclaimed king on the top of the stairs by which they ascended the hill on which the tower stood, i.e., in the area before the door of the tower, and consequently the most public place in the city.
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