Magen Broshi's refugee hypothesis aimed to explain how Iron Age Jerusalem expanded to include the Western Hill. It has been widely accepted and developed, but some scholars question its usefulness.
Imho, Isaiah 11 pictures the Gentile refugees living on the western hill, describing them as various dangerous animals **who weren't hurting anyone**, living right on God's "holy mountain" - Mount Zion. Josephus agrees that Mount Zion was on the western hill (Wars of the Jews Book V chapter 4). These would also have included Israelite refugees, of course, but the Gentile refugees would've been from the smaller nation-states surrounding Israel and Judah, which previously were their enemies.
Israel and Judah couldn't achieve lasting peace through military means, but God was able to create peace HIS way...a lesson that I think we should learn from today.
Imho, Isaiah 11 pictures the Gentile refugees living on the western hill, describing them as various dangerous animals **who weren't hurting anyone**, living right on God's "holy mountain" - Mount Zion. Josephus agrees that Mount Zion was on the western hill (Wars of the Jews Book V chapter 4). These would also have included Israelite refugees, of course, but the Gentile refugees would've been from the smaller nation-states surrounding Israel and Judah, which previously were their enemies.
Israel and Judah couldn't achieve lasting peace through military means, but God was able to create peace HIS way...a lesson that I think we should learn from today.