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Jesus' Entry Through the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem

The Sheep Gate was one of the gates of Jerusalem, specifically mentioned in the book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:1, 32; 12:39) [1, 2, 3]. It was located in the eastern wall of the city [1]. Its name likely derived either from its proximity to a sheep market or from the nearby Pool of Bethesda, where sheep were washed before being taken to the temple for sacrifice [14, 16].

Location and Significance in Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3 details the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and gates after the Babylonian exile. The Sheep Gate is the first gate mentioned in this account, indicating its importance. Eliashib the high priest and his brethren were responsible for building and consecrating it, suggesting its sacred connection, possibly due to its proximity to the temple [16]. Smith's Bible Dictionary places the Sheep Gate between the Tower of Meah and the Chamber of the Corner, or the gate of the guard-house (Nehemiah 3:1, 32; 12:39) [3]. This suggests it was situated in the northern part of the city wall, near the angle formed by the junction of the city of David's wall with that of Jerusalem proper [3].

Other gates mentioned in Nehemiah and other biblical texts include the Fish Gate (2 Chronicles 33:14) [10], the Horse Gate (Nehemiah 3:28; Jeremiah 31:40) [4, 8], and the Benjamin Gate (Jeremiah 20:2; Zechariah 14:10) [9, 11]. The Horse Gate, for instance, was located at the west end of a bridge leading from Zion to the temple [8].

Jesus and the Sheep Gate

While the Old Testament clearly identifies the Sheep Gate as a physical entrance to Jerusalem, the New Testament does not explicitly describe Jesus entering the city through this specific gate. However, there are significant connections between Jesus and the concept of a "sheep gate" in the Gospel of John.

John 5:2 states, "Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, 'Bethesda', having five porches" [6]. This verse confirms the existence of the Sheep Gate during Jesus' ministry and links it to the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a paralytic. John Gill suggests that the "sheep market" mentioned in some translations of John 5:2 is better understood as referring to the Sheep Gate itself, through which sheep were brought into the city for temple sacrifices [14].

More significantly, in John 10, Jesus declares, "But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep" (John 10:2) [5]. Later in the same chapter, Jesus explicitly states, "Verily, verily, I say unto you; this is certainly truth, and what may be depended on as such, whether it will be believed or not: I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7) [18]. In this passage, Jesus uses the imagery of a gate and a shepherd to describe his role in relation to his followers. He is the means by which the "sheep" (his followers) enter into salvation and a relationship with God [18]. This metaphorical use of "the gate" by Jesus draws upon the familiar imagery of sheep entering and exiting through a gate, guided by their shepherd.

Interpretive Traditions and Speculations

Some interpretive traditions have connected Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem with the Sheep Gate. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist/Puritan commentator, notes that Micah 4:8, which speaks of "the tower of the flock" (or "tower of Edor"), might refer to a tower at the Sheep Gate of Jerusalem. He conjectures that Christ might have ridden through this gate during his triumphal entry [12]. However, the Gospels themselves do not specify which gate Jesus used for his triumphal entry. Mark's Gospel simply states, "They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple" (Mark 11:15) [7]. Other commentators, like John Gill, focus on Jesus' entry into the temple to cleanse it, fulfilling prophecies about the glory of the latter house [13].

The idea of Jesus entering through the Sheep Gate during his triumphal entry remains a conjecture within some traditions, rather than a direct biblical statement. The New Testament's emphasis is more on Jesus' spiritual role as the "door of the sheep" and his actions within the temple, rather than the specific physical gate he used to enter the city [18, 7].

It is important to distinguish between the literal physical gate in Jerusalem and the metaphorical "gate" Jesus speaks of. While the physical Sheep Gate was a known landmark in Jerusalem during Jesus' time, serving as an entry point for sacrificial animals, Jesus' teaching in John 10 elevates the concept to a spiritual truth about his identity and role as the sole means of access to God for his followers [5, 18]. This metaphorical usage is consistent with Jesus' frequent use of hyperbole and parables in his teaching, as noted by scholars in other contexts, such as the "eye of a needle" analogy [15].

The Jewish tradition, as seen in Ramban's commentary on Genesis 28:17, also uses the imagery of a "gate of heaven" in relation to the Sanctuary in Jerusalem, through which prayers and sacrifices ascend [17]. This highlights a broader ancient understanding of specific locations, particularly gates and sacred spaces, as points of access or connection between the earthly and divine realms. In this context, Jesus' declaration of being "the door of the sheep" resonates with a deeply ingrained cultural and religious understanding of gates as significant thresholds.

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sheep-gate — One of the gates of Jerusalem mentioned by Nehemiah (3:1, 32; 12:39). It was in the eastern wall of the city.”
  2. STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H6629H — Sheep Gate= in Jerusalem ([email protected]=H3389) (refs: #A location in <strong="H3389">Jerusalem</strong> first mentioned at Neh.3.1; <br>referred to as <st)”
  3. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Sheepgate, The — one of the gates of Jerusalem as rebuilt by Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 3:1,32; 12:39) It stood between the tower of Meah and the chamber of the corner, ch. (Nehemiah 3:1,32) or gate of the guard-house, ch. (Nehemiah 12:39) Authorized Version, "prison-gate." The latter seems to have been at the angle formed by the junction of the wall of the city of David with that of the city of Jerusalem proper, having the sheep-gate on the north of it. The position of the sheep-gate may therefore have been on or near that of the Bab el Kattanin.”
  4. STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H5483B — Horse Gate= in Jerusalem ([email protected]=H3389) (refs: #A location in <strong="H3389">Jerusalem</strong> first mentioned at Neh.3.28; <br>only referred to )”
  5. John “John 10:2 (BSB) — But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.”
  6. John “Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches. -- John 5:2”
  7. Mark “They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple, and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold the doves. -- Mark 11:15”
  8. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Horse-gate — A gate in the wall of Jerusalem, at the west end of the bridge, leading from Zion to the temple (Neh. 3:28; Jer. 31:40).”
  9. STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H1144L — Benjamin Gate= in Jerusalem ([email protected]=H3389) (refs: #A location in <strong="H3389">Jerusalem</strong> first mentioned at Jer.20.2; <br>only referred to )”
  10. STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H1709G — Fish Gate= in Jerusalem ([email protected]=H3389) (refs: #A location in <strong="H3389">Jerusalem</strong> first mentioned at 2Ch.33.14; <br>only referred to)”
  11. STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H1144M — Gate of Benjamin= in Jerusalem ([email protected]=H3389) (refs: #A location in <strong="H3389">Jerusalem</strong> only mentioned at Zec.14.10; <br>only referred to )”
  12. Micah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Micah 4:8: These verses relate to Zion and Jerusalem, here called the tower of the flock or the tower of Edor; we read of such a place (Gen 35:21) near Bethlehem; and some conjecture it is the same place where the shepherds were keeping their flocks when the angels brought them tidings of the birth of Christ, and some think Bethlehem itself is here spoken of, as Mic 5:2. Some think it is a tower at that gate of Jerusalem which is called the sheep-gate (Neh 3:32), and conjecture that through that gate Christ rode in triumph into Jerusalem. However, it seems to be put for Jerusa”
  13. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 21:12: And Jesus went into the temple of God,.... At Jerusalem, which was built by his order, and dedicated to his worship, and where the Shechaniah, or the divine presence was. Christ went not to the tower of David, the strong hold of Zion, the palace of his father David; for he entered not as a temporal king; but he went to the house of his heavenly Father, as the lord and proprietor of it, to preach in it, and purge it; whereby the glory of the latter house became greater than that of the former; and so several prophecies had their accomplishment, particularly Hag 2:7 t”
  14. John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 5:2: Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market,.... The word "market" is not in the text, and of such a market, no account is given in the Scripture, nor in the Jewish writings; and besides, in our Lord's time, sheep and oxen were sold in the temple; rather therefore this signifies, the sheep gate, of which mention is made, in Neh 3:1, through which the sheep were brought into the city, to the temple. A pool. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, "there is at Jerusalem a sheep pool"; and so it is interpreted in the Arabic version, and Jerom calls it the "cattle ”
  15. Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 10:25: 10:25 Jesus was emphatically warning that riches are an obstacle to entering the Kingdom of God. The camel was the largest animal in Palestine, the eye of a needle the smallest hole. Some rich people are evidently able to overcome the problem created by riches and follow Jesus, but Jesus’ followers came from among the poor more than from the rich. • Explanations about a gate in the Jerusalem wall called the “Eye of the Needle” are ill-conceived. There never was such a gate, and this explanation loses sight of Jesus’ frequent use of hyperbole in his teaching (see al”
  16. Nehemiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Nehemiah 3 (introduction): THE NAMES AND ORDER OF THEM THAT BUILDED THE WALL OF JERUSALEM. (Neh. 3:1-32) Then Eliashib the high priest--the grandson of Jeshua, and the first high priest after the return from Babylon. rose up with his brethren the priests--that is, set an example by commencing the work, their labors being confined to the sacred localities. and they builded the sheep gate--close to the temple. Its name arose either from the sheep market, or from the pool of Bethesda, which was there (Joh 5:2). There the sheep were washed and then taken to the te”
  17. Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 28:17: THIS IS NONE OTHER THAN THE HOUSE OF G-D, AND THIS IS THE GATE OF HEAVEN. This refers to the Sanctuary which is the gate through which the prayers and sacrifices ascend to heaven. Rashi comments, Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Yosei the son of Zimra said, ‘This ladder stood in Beer-sheba and its slope 15 “Its slope.” In our text of Rashi: “the middle of its slope.” Ramban will explain later that the reference is to “the end” of the slope, which is the head of the ladder. reached unto the Sanctuary in Jerusalem. Beer-sheba is situated in the southern part o”
  18. John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 10:7: Then said Jesus unto them again,.... By way of explanation of the above parable, since they did not understand it: verily, verily, I say unto you; this is certainly truth, and what may be depended on as such, whether it will be believed or not: I am the door of the sheep; and of none but them; not of goats, dogs, or swine; none but sheep enter at this door; and all the sheep do sooner or later: Christ is the door to them, by which they enter into a visible church state, and are let into a participation of the ordinances of it, as baptism and the Lord's supper: no ma”
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