{
  "id": "dict_004142",
  "term": "Ophel",
  "slug": "ophel",
  "letter": "O",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Ophel is a raised or fortified area in Jerusalem, mentioned in the Old Testament as part of the city’s topography and defenses.",
  "simple_one_line": "A fortified hill or elevated district in Jerusalem.",
  "tooltip_text": "Ophel refers to an elevated or fortified area in Jerusalem, especially in Old Testament historical and post-exilic passages.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Jerusalem",
    "City of David",
    "Zion",
    "Nehemiah",
    "Temple Mount",
    "Millo"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Jerusalem",
    "City of David",
    "Zion",
    "Nehemiah",
    "Temple Mount"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Ophel is a biblical place-name for an elevated or fortified area in Jerusalem. It appears in historical, administrative, and prophetic contexts and helps readers understand the city’s layout and defenses.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Ophel is a topographical term for a raised, fortified area in Jerusalem.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A place-name, not a doctrine",
    "Associated especially with Jerusalem",
    "Appears in historical and post-exilic biblical texts",
    "Helps identify the city’s fortifications and urban layout"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Ophel designates an elevated or fortified area, most notably within Jerusalem. In Scripture it functions as a geographical and civic term rather than a theological concept.",
  "description_academic_full": "Ophel is a biblical topographical term referring to an elevated or fortified area, especially in Jerusalem. The Old Testament uses it in connection with the city’s walls, defenses, and administrative life. Because it names a location, it belongs more naturally in a biblical geography or place category than in a theological-topics category. The exact boundaries of the Ophel area are discussed by scholars, but its general association with Jerusalem is clear.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In the Old Testament, Ophel appears in passages describing Jerusalem’s construction, repair, and security. It is linked with the city’s fortifications and with post-exilic rebuilding efforts, especially in Nehemiah.",
  "background_historical_context": "Historically, Ophel is associated with the ancient fortified slope or ridge in Jerusalem, often understood as part of the southeastern extension of the city near the temple and royal complex. The precise identification is debated, but it consistently belongs to Jerusalem’s urban geography.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Jewish usage, the term functions as a civic and topographical designation tied to Jerusalem’s inhabited and defended areas. It helps locate activities of repair, administration, and boundary setting in the city.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "2 Chronicles 27:3",
    "2 Chronicles 33:14",
    "Nehemiah 3:26-27",
    "Nehemiah 11:21"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Micah 4:8"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The Hebrew term commonly rendered Ophel refers to a mound, hill, or elevated fortified area. In context it is used as a place designation rather than as a symbolic theological term.",
  "theological_significance": "Ophel has no direct doctrinal meaning, but it supports biblical understanding by grounding the reader in real geography and the historical setting of Jerusalem.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place-name, Ophel reminds readers that Scripture is rooted in concrete history and location. The biblical message unfolds in real cities, walls, and civic spaces, not in abstraction alone.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Ophel as a theological concept. The exact archaeological and topographical boundaries are not certain, so readers should avoid overconfident claims about its precise location.",
  "major_views_note": "Scholars generally agree that Ophel refers to a raised or fortified sector of Jerusalem, though they differ on the exact topographical limits and how it relates to the temple mount, City of David, and surrounding structures.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Ophel does not establish doctrine. It should be understood as a geographical term used to locate events and developments in biblical history.",
  "practical_significance": "Knowing what Ophel is helps readers follow the historical books and Nehemiah more accurately and appreciate the real-world setting of Jerusalem’s restoration and defenses.",
  "meta_description": "Ophel is a biblical place-name for a raised or fortified area in Jerusalem, mentioned in Old Testament historical and post-exilic passages.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/ophel/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/ophel.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}