Gichon the river of Eden

Gen 2:10 Now a river/nahar flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided/yiparad and became into four/arbaah heads/rosh. 

The verb פרד (Parad) means to "divide." The prefix י (Y) identifies the subject of the verb as masculine singular (he), and the tense of the verb as imperfect – he divides. The construct of this verb also identifies this verb as a passive verb - he is divided.

While the verses seemingly indicate that the rivers all flow from the same source, this is clearly not the case. It has been suggested that the Hebrew word for “separated,” יפרד, can also be understood as “lost or missing.” According to this approach, the river sunk into the ground at the exit of the Garden of Eden, and later reappeared at four distinct locations. The verse now reads, “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it was lost (sunk into the ground) and (later reemerged and) became four heads.

Wasn't Eden a garden? But if you see the first part of the verse of Gen 2:10 ונהר יצא מעדן להשׁקות את־הגן and is translated as 'w/And ’nahar/a river yotse/flowed out me-`Eden/of Eden l’hashqoth /o water‘eth/alaph tau-hagan/the garden'

'And a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden' 

If Eden was a garden then which other garden is the river which yiparad (lost/missing) and re-emerged and became four rashaym/heads?

Before we look at which garden Yahuah Aluahym is telling us that was watered by the river that flowed out of Eden we see scripture telling us of the births of the earth and the heavens. Before man was created there were no shrub of the field yet on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up for Yahuah Aluahym had not sent rain on the earth (Gen 2:5) and a vapor/mist went up from the ground and watered the entire surface of the ground (Gen 2:6)

Gen 2:4  These are the births of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that יהוה Elohim made earth and heavens. 

Gen 2:5  Now no shrub of the field was yet on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for יהוה Elohim had not sent rain on the earth, and there was no man to till/abad the ground, 

Gen 2:6  but a mist went up from the earth and watered the entire surface of the ground. 

Gen 2:7  And יהוה Elohim formed the man out of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils breath of life. And the man became a living being. 

Gen 2:8  And יהוה Elohim planted a garden in Ěḏen, to the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 

Gen 2:9  And out of the ground יהוה Elohim made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Hence, when we read Gen 1:11-13 on the third day when Yahuah created the plants, shrubs, trees etc, He caused this mist to water the ground until He planted Eden and man to till the ground post which it rained

Gen 1:11  And Elohim said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the plant that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth.” And it came to be so. 

Gen 1:12  And the earth brought forth grass, the plant that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good. 

Gen 1:13  And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the third day

Many argue that it did not rain until Noach's time when the windows of heaven and the deep burst forth and this mist continued to water the ground until then. This cannot be true as Wisdom is personified as a woman to be with Yahuah when he founded the earth and the proverb tells us when Yahuah founded the earth and by understanding He established the heavens the clouds dropped down the DEW/TAL

Pro 3:19 YAHUAH by wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding has he established the heavens.

Pro 3:20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew/tal.

The Hebrew word for rain is 'matar' and Noach was a preacher of righteousness and warned people of the coming flood, which shows he knew what rain meant.

2Pe 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noach the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the wicked;

Coming back to Genesis

Gen 2:15  And יהוה Elohim took the man and put him in the garden of Ěḏen to till/abad it and to guard/shamar it. 

So when we read Gen 2:5....for יהוה Elohim had not sent rain on the earth, and there was no man to till/abad the ground

We must understand that when man was created and placed to till/abad it then it would have rained. We must be consistent in scripture interpretation. Adam was placed in the garden of Eden not only to serve/abad it but to also guard/shamar it.The other word for abad is 'serve' and is also the word 'ebed' H5650 which means 'servant'

We all know that the source of rivers is rain which the earth drinks and springs shoot forth from it. Now lets visit ''And a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden' We saw the word yiparad which means 'lost/missing' or 'He divided' and re-emerged as four heards. The source was 'A river' singular and Yahuah divided this river into four heads emerging out of the ground. What is interesting to see that the focus of Eden was eastward, for it was placed eastward, and when man sinned he was driven out and Yahuah placed the flaming sword and the cherubims on the east side of the garden.

Gen 2:8 Yahuah Elohim planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 

Gen 3:24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword whirling around to guard the way to the tree of life. 

Hence, it is understood that the river that flowed out of Eden was towards the east side of it. What is on the east side of Eden? In our previous study we saw that Eden was the place where Yerushalayim is, and the exact place where the temple was built on Mount Moriah. The only green place outside Yerushalayim is the kidron valley and the Mount of Olives on the east side of Yerushalayim and this can be understood that Yahusha frequently went to Mount of Olives to pray, He took his disciples there. Even we have a record that in the garden there was a tomb, a cave where he was buried.

John 19:41 In the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no dead person had been placed in it until then.

There is ample evidence provided in my previous study 'The rod of Masha' that Yahusha ha Mashiyach was impaled to a green tree (almond tree) and so were the two zealots with him. There was the mikhpad altar where the red heifer sacrifice was done on the Mount of Olives called the 'Summit/Rosh'. Yahusha was impaled facing the temple on the Mount of Olives. There is further evidence that this green patch was due to the Gihon spring which was one of the four heads of the river flowing out from beneath and flowed across the Kidron valley which was east to the the temple mount where the Mount of Olives is. The main water source of the original City of David was the Gichon Springs located at the base of the eastern slope of the city in the Kidron Valley.

We have evidence from scripture that king Hezekiah took counsel to stop the waters of this Gichon spring which were outside the city and channelized the water from beneath the city to the west side into the Pool of Siloam

2Ch 32:1  After these matters and this trustworthiness, Sanḥĕriḇ sovereign of Ashshur came. And he entered Yehuḏah and encamped against the cities of defence, and said to break them open to himself. 

2Ch 32:2  And Ḥizqiyahu saw that Sanḥĕriḇ had come, and his face set to fight against Yerushalayim, 

2Ch 32:3  and he took counsel with his rulers and mighty men to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city. And they helped him. 

2Ch 32:4  And many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the stream that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the sovereigns of Ashshur come and find much water?” 

2Ch 32:5  And he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and outside of it another wall, and strengthened Millo, the City of Dawiḏ, and made large numbers of weapons and shields.

2Ch 32:30  And Ḥizqiyahu himself had stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Giḥon, and directed them to the west side of the City of Dawiḏ. And Ḥizqiyahu prospered in all his work. 

Isa 22:9  And you saw the breaches of the city of Dawiḏ, that it was great. And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 

Isa 22:10  And you counted the houses of Yerushalayim, and the houses you broke down to strengthen the wall. 

Isa 22:11  And you dug a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you have not looked to its Maker, nor have you seen Him who fashioned it long ago. 

This Gichon spring which  naturally flowed into the Kidron Valley, in the earliest days of Yerushalayim’s occupation, reservoirs were built to collect the water from the Gichon springs. Two systems were eventually designed to use this water:

1. Water Shaft (by Yebusites)
2. Siloam Channel (Tunnel) by Hezekiah

2Sa 5:6  And the sovereign and his men went to Yerushalayim against the Yeḇusites, the inhabitants of the land. And they spoke to Dawiḏ, saying, “Except you take away the blind and the lame, you are not going to come in here,” thinking, “Dawiḏ is not going to come in here.” 

2Sa 5:7  But Dawiḏ captured the stronghold of Tsiyon, the City of Dawiḏ. 

2Sa 5:8  And Dawiḏ said on that day, “Anyone who smites the Yeḇusites, let him go by the water-shaft and take the lame and the blind, who are hated by Dawiḏ’s being.” That is why they say, “The blind and the lame do not come into the house.” 

2Sa 5:9  And Dawiḏ dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of Dawiḏ. And Dawiḏ built all around from the Millo and inward. 

The water shaft was a channel which the Yebusites built to bring the water into the city, we see scripture recording Dawid when he captured Yerushalayim, he told his servants to go by the water shaft to smite the Yebusites. The Yebusites had challenged Dawid 'Except he take away the blind and the lame, he will not be able to come into the water shaft'

We already saw the tunnel Hezekiah built to channelize the water into the city of Dawid, he closed up the upper spring so that Assyria couldn't attack Yerushalayim because the army of Assyria couldn't hold for long without water. Yerushalayim was a fortified city in the days of Shelemoh the son of Dawid as he built the temple mount with high walls.

2Sa 5:9  And Dawiḏ dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of Dawiḏ. And Dawiḏ built all around from the Millo and inward. 

1Ki 9:15  And this is the purpose of the compulsory labour which Sovereign Shelomoh raised, to build the House of יהוה, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Yerushalayim, and Ḥatsor, and Meḡiddo, and Gezer – 

Manasseh after his repentance and Yahuah bringing him back into the city of Dawid built the wall outside the City of Dawid on the west of Gichon.

2Ch 33:14  And after this he built a wall outside the City of Dawiḏ on the west of Giḥon, in the wadi, and as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate, and it went round Ophel, and he made it exceedingly high. And he put army commanders in all the walled cities of Yehuḏah. 

The springs of Gichon have a spiritual significance. The tunnel that Hezekiah built brought the Gichon spring water through the lower pool to be accumulated in the Pool of Siloam

This was the very place where the blind man by birth was asked to wash his eyes and came back seeing

Joh 9:7  And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Shiloaḥ” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came seeing. 

Shiloah was another name for Pool of Siloam (Gichon spring) and means 'Sent' 

Shelemoh king was anointed king when Gichon spring existed as an upper pool

1Ki 1:33  And the sovereign said to them, “Take with you the servants of your master, and you shall have Shelomoh my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Giḥon. 

1Ki 1:34  “And there Tsaḏoq the priest and Nathan the prophet shall anoint him sovereign over Yisra’ĕl. And blow the horn, and say, ‘Let Sovereign Shelomoh live!’ 

This spring water of Gichon was where the people washed in a divided pool and the other section water was used by the priests for the temple sacrifices, the Psalmist speaks of the spiritual significance of the this stream which make glad the city of Aluahym.

Psa 46:4  A river whose streams Make glad the city of Elohim, The set-apart dwelling of the Most High. 

Speaking of the living waters going forth from Yerushalayim ZecharYah speaks of Yahuah will be King over all the earth and in that day there shall be One Yahuah and his name ONE

Zec 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Yerushalayim; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

Zec 14:9 And YAHUAH shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one YAHUAH, and his name one.

The word Gichon is spelled as  גיחון which has the root words 'goy' which is means 'Gentile' H1471 and 'chun/chan' which means favor, chan also means camp/beauty. The picture is of Yasharal coming back into Yerushalayim through the cleansing waters of the ashes of the red heifer/Adam Parah.

Gen 3:22  And יהוה Elohim said, “See, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...” 

Gen 3:23  so יהוה Elohim sent him out of the garden of Ěḏen to till/abad H5647 the ground from which he was taken, 

Gen 3:24  and He drove the man out. And He placed keruḇim at the east of the garden of Ěḏen, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. 

Gen 3:23 gives us information that Yahuah Aluahym sent Adam out of the garden of Eden to serve the ground from which he was taken. This shows us that Adam who was made from dust was made from the dust outside the garden of Eden, not of Eden itself. Moreover, he was cast out of the east side of the garden. 

Towards the east of the garden was the Mount of Olives which had the mikhpad altar. This was the same altar where Qayin and Hebel offered their sacrifice i.e. at the Summit/Rosh which was 2000 cubits within the range from the center of the garden (a Sabbath day's journey Acts 1:12). It was also designed to keep the Yasharalite worshiper in the area of the center of his worship

Jos 3:3  and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of יהוה your Elohim, and the priests, the Lĕwites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. 

Jos 3:4  “Only, keep a distance between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, so that you know which way to go, for you have not passed over this way before.” 

Act 1:12  Then they went back to Yerushalayim from the Mount of Olives, which is near Yerushalayim, a Sabbath day’s journey. 

Qayin and Hebel were under a test of who would be a better high priest. The words of Yahuah to Qayin are clearly understood on acceptance and rejection. Being the elder son he was the contender for the MalchiTsedeq priesthood but he was rejected and as a result he was cast out from the distance beyond the summit/rosh which we have covered in our previous study 'The rod of Masha'

Gen 4:7  “If you do well, is there not acceptance? And if you do not do well, offence is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should master it.”

We see this direct comparison made of Hebel with Mashiyach whose blood had cried for vengeance whereas Mashiyach's for forgiveness

Heb 12:24  and to יהושע the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling which speaks better than the blood of Heḇel.

The red heifer/Adam parah in Hebrew means Adam fruitful, Yahuah in his plan drove out Adam to the place of the Summit where he dwelt and sacrificed, the very place our Savior Yahusha ha Mashiyach thousands of years later was impaled on a green almond tree, our Adam Parah.

1Co 15:45  And so it has been written, “The first man Aḏam became a living being,” the last Aḏam a life-giving Ruach.

The Tower of Siloam:

Luk 13:1  And some were present at that time, reporting to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their offerings. 

Luk 13:2  And יהושע answering, said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they have suffered like this? 

Luk 13:3  “I say to you, no! But unless you repent you shall all perish in the same way. 

Luk 13:4  “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were greater offenders than all other men who dwelt in Yerushalayim? 

Luk 13:5  “I say to you, no! But unless you repent you shall all perish in the same way.” 

There was a Tower of Siloam built to guard the waters of the Gichon spring. It is unclear who built it, some say it was built by the Yebusites and some say it was built by Hezekiah. There is an account where this tower fell on 18 and killed them and Yahusha asks the people whether these 18 people were greater offenders than the other men who dwelt in Yerushalayim.  His question shows that the types can never take away sins. Its He who gives the Living water which heals and cleanses. The Yerushalayim He came to had already fallen to carnality. 

Rev 22:1  And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb. 

Rev 22:2  In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the shoots of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

The Gichon spring stood as a type, whose waters were used to anoint kings, cleanse, bathe, used in sacrifices, various washings but the type only shows us the true favor Aluahym has for us in Mashiyach who is the completeness. We learn the word goy for Gentiles and chan/chun for favor. 

The Hebrew word Eden means “delight and pleasure,” and is symbolic of the ultimate source of all delight and pleasure who is Yahuah Himself. 

Jer 2:13  “For My people have done two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew out for themselves cisterns, cracked cisterns, which do not hold water.

Psa 36:7  How precious is Your loving-commitment, O Elohim! And the sons of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 

Psa 36:8  They are filled from the fatness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. 

Psa 36:9  For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.