WALL
Ancient cities were generally surrounded by walls for military defense. Jericho had a double brick wall with homes built as “bridges” between the two walls (Josh. 2:15).
The space between the walls constituted a “second line of defense”, but people took advantage of it for commercial activities and housing. In Old Testament times the walls of Jerusalem had 34 towers and 8 gates.
In time of war archers shot from towers and walls and threw stones at attackers (2 Sam. 11:20-24). The Hebrew monarchy ended when the Babylonians destroyed the walls of Jerusalem (2 Chron. 36:17-19).
Nehemiah’s most urgent mission was to rebuild them (Neh. 1:3; 2:8-20; 3:4; 6:15), since the walls represented protection. The heavenly city described in the Apocalypse has walls that can be symbolic or real, whose appearance is like precious stones.
The Jerusalem of the millennium is, on the other hand, a city without walls, like modern cities (and even the current Jerusalem, which extends throughout the territory around the ancient remains, which are archaeological relics), since the presence of God He will protect her (Rev. 21:12-14).
And Zechariah’s prophecy is even more wonderful, for he says that there will be no need for walls in the New Jerusalem, since God Himself will be a “wall of fire” to protect the people from it (Zech. 2:4, 5).
The holiest place for Jews in modern Jerusalem is “The Wailing Wall.” They believe that it was part of the foundations of Solomon’s temple and that it enclosed the most holy place.