In these images left to right we see an early 20th Century photo of the steps down to the water of Spring Gihon; a modern image of the diminished water flow today and, an aerial from 1900 of the area once occupied by the Biblical City of David. The X marks where the ridge drops into the Kidron valley (not visible due to camera angle), and the approximate location on the ridge edge above the Gihon Spring. This image serves to illustrate the ample relatively flat area (today fully built on with dwellings and other buildings) where Solomon's temple would have been constructed to make use of the flow of water upward into the temple and the city through pipes under the spring's pressure. Gihon means 'Gushing Forth.'
In Psalm 68 David describes the futility and helplessness of the enemies of God and of Israel who melt away at His presence. Even the great mountains of heathen territories belong to Him—and are jealous of Zion where the God of Israel dwells!
But David then sings of how the heathen have watched the procession of God to His dwelling place. This can be nothing but the witnessing by the nations of David bringing the ark into the City of David and to the special place he had prepared for it. Here is 2 Chronicles 1:4...
But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
We know that the tent was erected at Gihon, the sacred spot, visited by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We know because when David instructed Nathan and Zadok the priest to anoint Solomon as king, it was at Gihon where they took the sacred oil from the tent, and anointed Solomon there.
During this period that was where the ark and therefore the presence of God resided. Now hear what David says in verses 24 to 27–
They have seen Your procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
This is the formal procession, installing the ark in the tent, accompanied by the Levites and the singers and instrumentalists in great praise to God—and David encourages them to ‘bless’ or praise God in the congregation and from that location, that site. It is the site of what he calls the fountain of Israel—nine other than Gihon whose waters could be heard surging and gushing upward (Gihon means gushing), providing the type of the living water found in the presence of God!
This was the sacred and special site, known through the ages as Ha Makom, The Place—and above which of course, Solomon later sited the Temple.
It was at ‘the fountain of Israel.’
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