נחמיה, פרק ג׳, פסוק י״א

As the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem continues, Malchijah son of Harim and Hashub son of Pahath-moab take responsibility for constructing a specific segment. They are noted for building a second measure of the wall. The primary approach among commentators is that these men built a section exactly equal in length to the portion completed by the builders before them [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, it might simply mean they took on an additional segment [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Taking a different perspective, [מלבי״ם] explains that this particular zone of the city lacked gates and towers to serve as natural markers. Therefore, the long stretch of wall was divided into two lengths, with these men responsible for the second half. Notably, describing the construction in terms of a measure applies exclusively to the solid wall itself, rather than the building of gates [רש״י].

In addition to their assigned length of the wall, the two builders also constructed the Tower of the Ovens [מצודת דוד]. Like all the towers built during this project, it was physically integrated into the surrounding city wall [רש״י] and likely marked the final boundary of their specific work zone [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This structure was situated at the western corner of the city [מלבי״ם].

The tower earned its unique name because it was the central area where ovens were gathered to bake bread for the residents of Jerusalem. This arrangement was a practical necessity; lighting ovens inside the city limits was prohibited in order to keep the streets free of smoke, so the baking was concentrated at this specific tower along the wall [ר' סעדיה גאון].