Did You Know?
What activities took place at city gates in Bible times?
CITY gates were more than just entry points. With so many people passing through them, they became busy centers of daily life. The Bible mentions city gates over 50 times, and it describes the activities that took place there.
People gathered at city gates. The Hebrew word for “gate” refers to more than just the front door of a city. It conveys the idea of a built-up area at the entrance of a city or a town. In some places, there were broad public squares inside the gates where large groups of people could meet.—Neh. 8:1.
Merchants set up markets near city gates. Some gates in Jerusalem, such as the Fish Gate and the Sheep Gate, may have taken their names from the goods that were sold nearby.—Zeph. 1:10; John 5:2.
City gates were busy centers of daily life
People cared for both business and personal matters at city gates. Abraham and Boaz made official transactions in front of witnesses at city gates. (Gen. 23:10-15, 17, 18; Ruth 4:1, 10) Some travelers would spend the night in the public square near the city gates if no one offered them hospitality. (Judg. 19:15-21) People also went to the city gates to hear the latest news.—2 Sam. 18:24, 25.
Judges held court near city gates. They decided on cases before onlookers who could hear both the testimony and the outcome. (Deut. 21:18-20) This public setting encouraged the judges to be just and fair in their decisions. After the judges made a decision, officials carried out the sentence right away. (Deut. 25:2) At the city gates, judges were expected to promote justice and good conduct.—Deut. 16:18-20; Job 29:7, 11-17.
Faithful men encouraged the people of Israel who were at the city gates to trust in Jehovah. Prophets and others spoke at the gates because they knew that people gathered there. (1 Ki. 22:10; Jer. 17:19, 20) For instance, Jehu declared before all the people that Jehovah had fulfilled His word against the house of Ahab. (2 Ki. 10:8-10) King Hezekiah gathered his military chiefs at a city gate to encourage them to rely on Jehovah’s help.—2 Chron. 32:6-8.
The Bible says that “true wisdom” cries aloud and raises its voice “at the entrances of the city gates.” (Prov. 1:20, 21) Back in ancient Israel, it was at the city gates that faithful men gave wise counsel and rendered fair decisions. Today, Jehovah’s wisdom is recorded in the Bible and his servants everywhere are helping people turn to this source of true wisdom.
