The Benjamin Gate was a gate in Jerusalem, associated with the tribe of Benjamin.
The Benjamin Gate, mentioned in the book of Jeremiah, was one of the gates of Jerusalem during the time of the prophets. It was likely named after the tribe of Benjamin, whose territory was located just north of the city.
In Jeremiah 20:2, the priest Pashhur struck the prophet Jeremiah and put him in the stocks at the Benjamin Gate. This incident occurred after Jeremiah had prophesied about the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people.
Later, in Jeremiah 37:13, the prophet was arrested by the guard at the Benjamin Gate when he was attempting to leave Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege of the city. The guard accused Jeremiah of defecting to the Babylonians, but the prophet denied the charge.
In Jeremiah 38:7, Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch in the king's house, heard that Jeremiah had been put into a cistern in the court of the guard. He went to the king at the Benjamin Gate to intercede on Jeremiah's behalf, and the king ordered Ebed-melech to take men and lift Jeremiah out of the cistern.
The Benjamin Gate served as a significant location in the book of Jeremiah, being associated with the prophet's persecution, arrest, and rescue. Its mention in these passages highlights the political and religious tensions in Jerusalem during the time leading up to the Babylonian exile.
Approximate location: 31.777, 35.235 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
3 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1144
he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”
Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.