{
  "id": "dict_001531",
  "term": "Dung Gate",
  "slug": "dung-gate",
  "letter": "D",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A gate in the wall of Jerusalem, mentioned in Nehemiah, likely used for removing refuse from the city.",
  "simple_one_line": "The Dung Gate was a gate in Jerusalem associated with the removal of waste.",
  "tooltip_text": "A named gate in Jerusalem’s wall, noted in Nehemiah’s rebuilding account.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Jerusalem",
    "Nehemiah",
    "Jerusalem Wall",
    "Water Gate",
    "Sheep Gate",
    "City Gate"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Nehemiah",
    "gates of Jerusalem",
    "Jerusalem (city)",
    "postexilic restoration"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "The Dung Gate was one of the gates of Jerusalem. It appears in Nehemiah’s account of rebuilding the city wall after the exile and is usually understood as a practical gate connected with taking refuse out of the city.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A historical gate in Jerusalem’s wall, named for its likely association with refuse removal.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Mentioned especially in Nehemiah",
    "part of the postexilic rebuilding of Jerusalem",
    "chiefly a historical and geographical term rather than a doctrinal one",
    "its exact location is debated but its function was practical."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "The Dung Gate is a named gate in Jerusalem’s wall, mentioned in Nehemiah during the postexilic rebuilding of the city. Its name likely reflects a practical use connected with removing waste from Jerusalem.",
  "description_academic_full": "The Dung Gate is a historical and geographical feature of Jerusalem, mentioned most clearly in Nehemiah’s account of the rebuilding of the city wall after the exile (notably Neh. 2, 3, and 12). The name likely refers to a route used for carrying refuse out of the city, though the exact location and details of its use are not certain. In Scripture, the gate helps readers follow the layout of Jerusalem and the restoration work under Nehemiah. Because it is not primarily a doctrinal term, any symbolic application should remain secondary to the plain historical sense.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In Nehemiah, the Dung Gate appears in the description of the ruined wall, the repair work, and the later dedication of the completed wall. It stands as one of several named gates that help locate the rebuilding project around Jerusalem.",
  "background_historical_context": "Ancient cities commonly had gates associated with traffic, trade, defense, and sanitation. A gate linked with refuse removal would fit the practical needs of a densely inhabited city, especially one with livestock, household waste, and temple-related activity.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In the ancient Jewish setting, Jerusalem’s gates were more than architectural features; they marked movement, security, and civic life. The Dung Gate likely served a routine but necessary role in the city’s sanitation and daily administration.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Neh. 2:13",
    "Neh. 3:13-14",
    "Neh. 12:31"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Neh. 2:17",
    "Neh. 3:1",
    "Neh. 3:28"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The English name reflects the traditional rendering of the gate’s Hebrew designation. The precise historical identification of the gate is not certain, but the name points to a practical civic function.",
  "theological_significance": "The Dung Gate is not a major theological concept, but it contributes to the Bible’s concrete historical realism. It reminds readers that God’s work in Jerusalem involved ordinary civic restoration as well as spiritual renewal.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "This entry belongs to the category of biblical geography rather than doctrine. Its significance is descriptive: it helps locate events in space and history and shows that Scripture records ordinary public life with practical detail.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not over-allegorize the gate’s name. Its chief meaning is historical and topographical. Symbolic applications, if made, should be clearly labeled as application rather than original intent.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters understand the name as referring to refuse removal or sanitation. Some details of the gate’s exact location and route are debated, but its practical association is broadly accepted.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This term does not establish a doctrine. It should not be treated as a symbol with fixed theological meaning beyond its historical setting unless the text itself warrants a limited application.",
  "practical_significance": "The Dung Gate helps readers visualize Nehemiah’s rebuilding work and appreciate the careful, orderly restoration of Jerusalem. It also illustrates how Scripture grounds major redemptive events in real places and public details.",
  "meta_description": "Dung Gate: a gate in Jerusalem’s wall mentioned in Nehemiah, likely associated with removing refuse from the city.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/dung-gate/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/dung-gate.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}