Nehemiah 3:8

‘Next to him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths.'

The next part of the wall was repaired by the family or guild of Uzziel ben Harhaiah, who were goldsmiths. The name of the family guild head is intended to include both his own wider family and the guild of goldsmiths who would all assist in building. In Jerusalem each occupation would have its guild, and they would tend to live together in their own ‘quarter' where their products were sold. This part of the wall probably sheltered ‘the quarter of the goldsmiths', where gold was moulded and then sold in the gold market. Note, however, that in Nehemiah 3:32 we learn of goldsmiths involved in the Temple area, no doubt on religious artefacts.

Nehemiah 3:8

‘And next to him repaired Hananiah one of the perfumers, and they left out part of Jerusalem even to the broad wall.'

Next to the quarter of the goldsmiths was the quarter of the perfumers where perfume was made and traded (or ‘of the apothecaries'). A leading light of the guild was Hananiah, a well recognisable Jewish name. This part of the wall appears to have been built leaving outside the wall a section of Jerusalem, which had possibly grown up subsequently since the previous wall was built. ‘They' may indicate the perfumers, or it may indicate a number of those previously mentioned.

‘Even to the broad wall.' This suggests that there was a section of Jerusalem which was left outside the walls going ‘as far as the broad wall', a no doubt recognisable landmark. If this omitted section had never previously been included within the walls of Jerusalem we can understand why they would not want to build a new wall enclosing it due to time pressure. Rather they repaired the old one which left it outside. The work had to be done quickly. We do not know why the broad wall was called ‘the broad wall'. It may have been because it was at the widest part of the city, or it may have been because it had previously had to be rebuilt and had been made broader in order to increase its strength. Sites on the western hill (outside the wall) have been found to contain iron age remains, which would tie in with what we find here.