GIHON. - A spring outside the walls of Jerusalem, where by order of David Solomon was unexpectedly consecrated king, forestalling the proclamation of Adonijah plotted by his partisans gathered at the rock of Zoheleth, near the spring Rogel (1 Kings 1:9). It is identified with 'Ain Sitti Maryam, the only spring of Jerusalem, situated at the foot of the height (Ophel) on which stood David's palace, on the western side of the Kidron valley about 100 m. from Bir Ayyub (= spring Rogel) and opposite the slope Zahzejeh (= Zoheleth?) that led up to the village of Silwan.
Archaeological exploration in the cavern from which the G. flows has examined an entire system of hydraulic works for supplying the city with water in case of siege. In the 2nd millennium a secret passage, cut through the rock, led from the city to the mouth of a shaft from which, by means of ropes and vessels, water could be drawn; the water, once the natural outlet of the spring was blocked, was channeled into the interior of the hill down to beneath the shaft. Exegetes generally agree that through this passage (ṣinnôr) Joab was able to penetrate the Jebusite fortress and conquer it.
After the city later expanded toward the west, new works (a pool and channels) were added around the G. already from the time of Solomon; in the time of Ahaz a channel was built along the flanks of the hill almost at ground level, with various sections open for the irrigation of the royal gardens; it led the water from the G. into the lower pool, today Birket el-hamra (Is. 8:6). This channel, which could also serve besiegers, was blocked up by Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:30), who had a deep tunnel excavated which, passing underground through the hill of Ophel, carried the water from the upper G. to the other side of the hill, on the western slope (2 Chron. 32:30; 2 Kings 20:20; Sir. 48:19) into the pool of Siloam (Is. 9:7). There in 1880 was found the inscription - today in the Museum of Constantinople - that describes the completed work.