The 13th perek of Vayikra details the laws of Tzara’at. Among the biblical figures who were metzoraim, is Uziyahu, King of Yehudah as mentioned in Divrei HaYamin II Perek 26 Posukim 20-21. Torah Law, as mentioned in Sefer Bamidbar Perek 5 Posuk 2 (see Rashi’s comments) requires a Metzora to remain outside the Three Camps (Shechina, Leviim, Yisrael). Since all of the walled city of Yerushalayim is Machaneh Yisrael, Uziyahu had to leave his capital, Yerushalayim. Since Uziyahu was not cured of Tzaraat, “until the day of his death”, he resided in Beit HaChofshit. Popular Tradition, identifies the location of Beit HaChofshit as the Tomb of the Chezir family of Kohanim, on the western slope of Har Hazeitim, above the Kidron Valley. Since the burial cave was prepared during the Period of the Chashmonaim, hundreds of years after the death of King Uziyahu, the cave itself obviously cannot be Beit HaChofshit. Perhaps the identification is based upon a tradition that Beit HaChofshit was located in this area. Given that the Kidron Valley is the obvious natural eastern boundary of Yerushalayim, it is reasonable to assume that King Uziyahu crossed the Kidron Valley and therefore by definition was “outside” of Yerushalayim, yet close to the Holy City.0
