Jerusalems Gates and Towers in the Book of Nehemiah: A Comparative Semitic Linguistic Study

As a researcher in the field of Semitic languages, I have attempted to make use of the methodological criteria which the various previous scientific studies adopted. The methodology on which this study relies is by no means new. However, the novelty lies in the subject which deals characteristically with Jerusalem's gates and towers from a linguistic Semitic point of view, clarifying their meanings, linguistic structure, and comparing them with their counterparts in other Semitic languages. The Book of Nehemiah has been chosen because the recurrence of the Gates and Towers names, on the one hand. On the other hand, this book is considered by some as that of construction. Nevertheless, it is a Book of prayer and leadership. The secret of Nehemiah's success appears to be that he not only knew what he prayed for but also had a personal interest in carrying in his heart the people's burdens and throwing them at God's feet. The present study consists of two sections and conclusions. The first section tackles the Gates of Jerusalem, whereas the second section deals with the Jerusalem Towers. In this study, the Hebrew alphabets are used in listing Jerusalem Gates and Towers and in comparing Hebrew with other Semitic languages. The lexical comparison of each name is listed on account of what is available for the name in dictionaries without commitment to the number of the languages included in the comparison. A name may occur in a language and may not in another.