College

The college (Hebrew mishneh, meaning second quarter or second district) appears in connection with Huldah the prophetess, who dwelt in Jerusalem in the college when Josiah's officials consulted her concerning the book of the law found in the temple (2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22). The term does not refer to an academic institution but rather to a specific residential district of Jerusalem, likely the newer northern quarter of the city that developed beyond the original Davidic city.

Huldah's location in this quarter may indicate that the prophetesses and their families occupied a recognized area of the city, or that the mishneh was associated with the Levitical or temple service communities. Her presence in this district made her accessible to the royal delegation, and her authoritative prophetic response confirmed the authenticity of the discovered scroll and announced both the coming judgment upon Judah and the personal reprieve granted to Josiah because of his humble and responsive heart. The college or second quarter of Jerusalem has been tentatively associated with the Tyropoeon Valley area through archaeological study.