Tyropoeon Valley 
 
 (i.e., "Valley of the Cheesemongers"), the name given by Josephus the
 historian to the valley or rugged ravine which in ancient times
 separated Mount Moriah from Mount Zion. This valley, now filled up
 with a vast accumulation of rubbish, and almost a plain, was spanned
 by bridges, the most noted of which was Zion Bridge, which was
 probably the ordinary means of communication between the royal palace
 on Zion and the temple. A fragment of the arch (q.v.) of this bridge
 (called "Robinson's Arch"), where it projects from the sanctuary wall,
 was discovered by Robinson in 1839 This arch was destroyed by the
 Romans when Jerusalem was taken. The western wall of the temple area
 rose up from the bottom of this valley to the height of 84 feet, where
 it was on a level with the area, and above this, and as a continuance
 of it, the wall of Solomon's cloister rose to the height of about 50
 feet, "so that this section of the wall would originally present to
 view a stupendous mass of masonry scarcely to be surpassed by any
 mural masonry in the world."