Wikipedia's first sentence called it “name given by josephus the historian to the valley or rugged ravine which in ancient times separated mount mori”. Today it says “name given by the first-century jewish-roman historian josephus”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Former valley in Jerusalem”. It now reads “Valley in Jerusalem”.
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The opening as it read in 2005
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Easton, Matthew George (1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.).1Nelson and Sons. : Missing or empty |title= ( help ) Tyropoeon Valley (i.e., "Valley of the Cheesemakers ") is the name given by Josephus the historian to the valley or rugged ravine which in ancient times separated Mount Moriah from Mount Zion . This valley, now filled up with a vast accumulation of rubbish, and almost a plain, was spanned by bridges, the most noted of which was Zion Bridge, which was probably the ordinary means of communication between the royal palace on Zion and the temple.2A fragment of the arch of this bridge (called "Robinson's Arch"), where it projects from the sanctuary wall, was discovered by Edward Robinson in 1839 . This arch was destroyed by the Romans when Jerusalem was taken.3The western wall of the temple area rose up from the bottom of this valley to the height of 84 feet, where it was on a level with the area, and above this, and as a continuance of it, the wall of Solomon 's cloister rose to the height of about 50 feet, "so that this section of the wall would originally present to view a stupendous mass of masonry scarcely to be surpassed by any mural masonry in the world." In the Copper Scroll this valley is called the Outer Valley . The name "Tyropoiōn" likeliest arose as an ancient mistranslation from Hebrew to Greek of Josephus's book; Semitic languages use the same root for "outer" and "congeal".4
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The opening as it stood in 2010 4 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
1858 map of Jerusalem, showing the Vallery of Tyropeon Tyropoeon Valley (i.e., "Valley of the Cheesemakers ") is the name given by Josephus the historian (Wars 5.140) to the valley or rugged ravine , in the Old City of Jerusalem , which in ancient times separated Mount Moriah from Mount Zion and emptied into the valley of Hinnom . The Tyropoeon, now filled up with a vast accumulation of debris, and almost a plain, was spanned by bridges, the most noted of which was Zion Bridge, which was probably the ordinary means of communication between the royal palace on Zion and the temple. The western wall of the Temple Mount rose up from the bottom of this valley to the height of 84 feet, where it was on a level with the area, and above this, and as a continuance of it, the wall of Solomon 's cloister rose to the height of about 50 feet, "so that this section of the wall would originally present to view a stupendous mass of masonry scarcely to be surpassed by any mural masonry in the world." In the Copper Scroll this valley is called in Hebrew the Outer Valley (3Q15 col.8, line 4). The name "Tyropoiōn" possibly arose as an ancient mistranslation from Hebrew to the Greek of Josephus's book; Semitic languages use the same root for "outer" and "congeal".
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 301469615.
The opening as it stood in 2015
1858 map of Jerusalem, showing the Valley of Tyropeon Tyropoeon Valley (i.e., "Valley of the Cheesemakers ") is the name given by Josephus the historian (Wars 5.140) to the valley or rugged ravine , in the Old City of Jerusalem , which in ancient times separated Mount Moriah from Mount Zion and emptied into the valley of Hinnom . The Tyropoeon, now filled up with a vast accumulation of debris, and almost a plain, was spanned by bridges, the most noted of which was Zion Bridge, which was probably the ordinary means of communication between the royal palace on Zion and the temple. The western wall of the Temple Mount rose up from the bottom of this valley to the height of 84 feet, where it was on a level with the area, and above this, and as a continuance of it, the wall of Solomon 's cloister rose to the height of about 50 feet, "so that this section of the wall would originally present to view a stupendous mass of masonry scarcely to be surpassed by any mural masonry in the world." In the Copper Scroll this valley is called in Hebrew the Outer Valley (3Q15 col.8, line 4). The name "Tyropoiōn" possibly arose as an ancient mistranslation from Hebrew to the Greek of Josephus's book; Semitic languages use the same root for "outer" and "congeal".
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 664898340.
The opening as it stood in 2020
1858 map of Jerusalem, showing the Valley of Tyropeon Tyropoeon Valley (i.e., "Valley of the Cheesemakers ") is the name given by Josephus the historian (Wars 5.140) to the valley or rugged ravine , in the Old City of Jerusalem , which in ancient times separated Mount Moriah from Mount Zion and emptied into the valley of Hinnom . The Tyropoeon, now filled up with a vast accumulation of debris, and almost a plain, was spanned by bridges, the most noted of which was Zion Bridge, which was probably the ordinary means of communication between the royal palace on Zion and the temple. The western wall of the Temple Mount rose up from the bottom of this valley to the height of 84 feet, where it was on a level with the area, and above this, and as a continuance of it, the wall of Solomon 's cloister rose to the height of about 50 feet, "so that this section of the wall would originally present to view a stupendous mass of masonry scarcely to be surpassed by any mural masonry in the world." In the Copper Scroll this valley is called in Hebrew the Outer Valley (3Q15 col.8, line 4). The name "των τυροποιων" (tōn tyropoiōn) possibly arose as an ancient mistranslation from Hebrew to the Greek of Josephus's book; Semitic languages use the same root for "outer" and "congeal". 1862 map of Jerusalem showing the Valley of Tyropoeon
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 905441060.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023
Former valley in Jerusalem 1858 map of Jerusalem, showing the Valley of Tyropeon Tyropoeon Valley (Greek: φάραγξ τῶν τυροποιῶν pharanx tōn tyropoiōn i.e., "Valley of the Cheesemakers ") is the name given by Josephus the historian ( Wars 5.140 ) to the valley or rugged ravine , in the Old City of Jerusalem , which in ancient times separated Mount Moriah from Mount Zion and emptied into the valley of Hinnom . The Tyropoeon, filled over the centuries with a vast accumulation of debris, and almost a plain, was spanned by bridges, the most noted of which was Zion Bridge, which was probably the ordinary means of communication between the royal palace on Zion and the temple . The western wall of the Temple Mount rose up from the bottom of this valley to the height of 84 feet, where it was on a level with the area, and above this, and as a continuance of it, the wall of Solomon 's cloister rose to the height of about 50 feet, "so that this section of the wall would originally present to view a stupendous mass of masonry scarcely to be surpassed by any mural masonry in the world." In the Copper Scroll this valley is called in Hebrew the Outer Valley (3Q15 col.8, line 4). The name των τυροποιων ( tōn tyropoiōn ) possibly arose as an ancient mistranslation from Hebrew to the Greek of Josephus's book; Semitic languages use the same root for outer and congeal . 1862 map of Jerusalem showing the Valley of Tyropoeon
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1062322239.
The opening as it stood in 2025 3 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Valley in Jerusalem 1862 map of Jerusalem showing the Valley of Tyropoeon Tyropoeon Valley (Greek: φάραγξ τῶν τυροποιῶν pharanx tōn tyropoiōn i.e., "Valley of the Cheesemakers " or "Cheesemongers"), is the name given by the first-century Jewish-Roman historian Josephus ( Wars 5.140 ) to the valley or rugged ravine , which in his times separated Jerusalem 's Temple Mount (Mount Moriah) from the Western Hill or Mount Zion , and emptied into the valley of Hinnom .In modern scholarly terms it is also known as the central valley/Central Valley of Jerusalem.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1294718147. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “name given by josephus the historian to the valley or rugged ravine which in ancient times separated mount mori”. Today it says “name given by the first-century jewish-roman historian josephus”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Former valley in Jerusalem”. It now reads “Valley in Jerusalem”. Read the current article and compare.
2005
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
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What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2005, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
name given by josephus the historian to the valley or rugged ravine which in ancient times separated mount mori
Now
name given by the first-century jewish-roman historian josephus
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