What is the significance of Kadesh Barnea in the Bible?
Kadesh Barnea is a region located in the Desert of Zin that is mentioned numerous times in the Old Testament. It was located somewhere along the border of Edom and Israel, southwest of the Dead Sea. Kadesh Barnea, sometimes simply called Kadesh, is connected to many significant events in Israel’s history, specifically in the Pentateuch.…
What was the purpose of Stonehenge?
Stonehenge is a stone monument situated in the south of England. The name comes from two Old English words, stan, meaning “stone,” and hencg, meaning “hinge,” because the stone lintels “hinge” on the upright stones. Archaeologists define a henge as earthworks consisting of a circular banked enclosure with an internal ditch. Stonehenge is not truly…
What is the significance of Ashkelon in the Bible?
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the southern part of Israel on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is just north of Gaza and about 36 miles south of modern-day Tel Aviv. In biblical times, Ashkelon was the oldest and largest seaport in ancient Canaan. Over history, it has been ruled by the Egyptians,…
What is the significance of Ephesus in the Bible?
Ephesus was the capital city of a Roman province in Asia. Ephesus was a significant center of trade, located near a harbor at the mouth of the Cayster River in western Asia Minor. The city lay in a long, fertile valley. Major roads connected Ephesus to all the other significant cities in Asia Minor. Ephesus…
What is the significance of Assyria in the Bible?
Assyria was an ancient nation that was a major world power for about a thousand years (1700—727 BC). According to the International Standard Bible Commentary, Assyria “extended from Babylonia northward to the Kurdish mountains and at times included the country westward to the Euphrates and the Khabur.” Not only did Assyria pose a major threat…
What is the significance of Ophir in the Bible?
Ophir is mentioned in the Bible as a land renowned for its fine gold and other precious goods. The land of Ophir was most likely first settled by the descendants of a man named Ophir, son of Joktan (Genesis 10:30; 1 Chronicles 1:23). The geographical location of Ophir is uncertain, and there have been many…
What is the significance of Zaphon in the Bible?
The word Zaphon is used four times in the Hebrew Bible. The word literally means “north.” Twice the word is used to refer to a city in Gad on the east bank of the Jordan River (Joshua 14:27 and Judges 12:1). In these two passages, we are not told anything specific about the city. Zaphon…
Have the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah been found along with evidence they were destroyed by a meteor?
According to the Bible, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in a fiery cataclysm (Genesis 19:23–25). This occurred during the life of Abraham (Genesis 19:27–29). As with many such stories, Scripture only gives a basic outline, not detailed information. In this case, scholars speculate whether Sodom’s annihilation came via direct supernatural action or…
What is the significance of the city of Nineveh in the Bible?
Nineveh is notable in the Bible as the capital city of Assyria, a longtime enemy of Israel. Located in what is now modern Iraq, Nineveh is mentioned in Scripture as a place that turned away from sin through a warning by God, but which was later destroyed. The first mention of Nineveh is in the…
What is the significance of Cappadocia in the Bible?
Cappadocia was the easternmost province of the ancient Roman Empire in eastern Asia Minor. Part of the region was dominated by mountains and highlands; the rest featured a fertile plain all the way to the Euphrates River. Though there isn’t much detail about the territory in the Bible, the New Testament does make mention of…