Gihon
    a stream. (1.) One of the four rivers of Eden (Gen. 2:13). It
    has been identified with the Nile. Others regard it as the Oxus,
    or the Araxes, or the Ganges. But as, according to the sacred
    narrative, all these rivers of Eden took their origin from the
    head-waters of the Euphrates and the Trigris, it is probable
    that the Gihon is the ancient Araxes, which, under the modern
    name of the Arras, discharges itself into the Caspian Sea. It
    was the Asiatic and not the African "Cush" which the Gihon
    compassed (Gen. 10:7-10). (See EDEN.)

      (2.) The only natural spring of water in or near Jerusalem is
    the "Fountain of the Virgin" (q.v.), which rises outside the
    city walls on the west bank of the Kidron valley. On the
    occasion of the approach of the Assyrian army under Sennacherib,
    Hezekiah, in order to prevent the besiegers from finding water,
    "stopped the upper water course of Gihon, and brought it
    straight down to the west side of the city of David" (2 Chr.
    32:30; 33:14). This "fountain" or spring is therefore to be
    regarded as the "upper water course of Gihon." From this
    "fountain" a tunnel cut through the ridge which forms the south
    part of the temple hill conveys the water to the Pool of Siloam,
    which lies on the opposite side of this ridge at the head of the
    Tyropoeon ("cheesemakers'") valley, or valley of the son of
    Hinnom, now filled up by rubbish. The length of this tunnel is
    about 1,750 feet. In 1880 an inscription was accidentally
    discovered on the wall of the tunnel about nineteen feet from
    where it opens into the Pool of Siloam. This inscription was
    executed in all probability by Hezekiah's workmen. It briefly
    narrates the history of the excavation. It may, however, be
    possible that this tunnel was executed in the time of Solomon.
    If the "waters of Shiloah that go softly" (Isa. 8:6) refers to
    the gentle stream that still flows through the tunnel into the
    Pool of Siloam, then this excavation must have existed before
    the time of Hezekiah.

      In the upper part of the Tyropoeoan valley there are two pools
    still existing, the first, called Birket el-Mamilla, to the west
    of the Jaffa gate; the second, to the south of the first, called
    Birket es-Sultan. It is the opinion of some that the former was
    the "upper" and the latter the "lower" Pool of Gihon (2 Kings
    18:17; Isa. 7:3; 36:2; 22:9). (See CONDUIT; SILOAM.)



 Gihon, valley of grace