Ezion-geber
Where it is
29.76° N, 35.03° E
Mentioned most in
About this place
Ezion-geber is mentioned in the Bible as both an encampment site during the Israelites' wilderness wanderings and a significant port city on the Red Sea during the reigns of Solomon and Jehoshaphat.
In the context of the Exodus, Ezion-geber is listed as one of the places where the Israelites camped after departing from Kadesh and before entering the land of Canaan (Numbers 33:35-36; Deu.2.8). It was located near Elath, at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the modern-day country of Jordan.
During Solomon's reign, Ezion-geber became a major port city and a center for maritime trade. Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which sailed to Ophir and brought back gold, silver, and other precious materials (1Ki.9.26-28; 2Ch.8.17-18). The strategic location of Ezion-geber allowed Solomon to establish trade routes with Arabia, East Africa, and possibly even India.
Later, during the reign of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, there was an attempt to revive the maritime trade from Ezion-geber.
Every mention
Numbers 2 mentions
Deuteronomy 1 mention
1 Kings 2 mentions
2 Chronicles 2 mentions
What the dictionary says
The giant’s backbone (so called from the head of a mountain which runs out into the sea), an ancient city and harbour at the north-east end of the Elanitic…
Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · www.openbible.info/geo/
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain