Chapter 4 -

Towns and places in the Bible

 

 

 

 

BABEL, ERECH, ACCAD, AND NIMROD

 

Babel, Erech, Accad, and Nimrod or Calah were the first towns founded after the Flood. They were built by a man called Nimrod, who "began to be a mighty one in the earth" (Gen 10:8). Interestingly, all of these towns are well-known today thanks to efforts by archaeologists

 

- (Gen 10:8-11)  And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

9  He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: why it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

10  And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11  Out of that land went forth Asshur, and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

 

NINEVEH

 

Nineveh was founded by Nimrod (see Gen. 10:8-11), and it is well-known today because of many archaeological discoveries.

   What is significant about this city whose existence was doubted for a long time is that it was founded under the double hill of Tell nebi Junus (the prophet Jonah) and Kuzundzik. The location of Nineveh indicates a very clear connection with the prophet Jonah, who preached in this city:

 

- (Jonah 3:1-3) And the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2  Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the preaching that I bid you.

3  So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.

 

UR OF THE CHALDEANS

 

- (Gen 11:31) And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and dwelled there.

 

Some of the most interesting discoveries in the Middle East, mainly in the southern Babylonian region, are associated with the hometown of Abraham, Ur of the Chaldeas. Nowadays, it is one of the best known ancient city ruins.

   Archaelogical discoveries indicate that the city was at one time a significant center of activity. Houses reflected a luxurious environment. The city had an efficient underground sewage system, and several schools existed. Tablets containing mathematical equations proved that the square root was well-known.

   Thus, it is a mistake to think that Abraham descended from a nomadic tribe or that his origins were in a small village where people suffered miserable living conditions. On the contrary, these discoveries suggest that Abraham was a resident of a metropolitan area that served as a political and cultural center more than 4,000 years ago.

   Leonard Woolley, who excavated some of the ruins in this city, wrote:

 

We have to thoroughly check our view of the Hebrew patriarch when we have seen how grand an environment he had cultivated. He was the resident of a large city and took part in the traditions of a very highly developed civilization. The houses give evidence of a grand life of comfort. We have found hymns, which had been used in temple services and tablets with mathematical exercises. These tablets had, in addition to simple sums, even formulas from square roots to cubic roots. In some writings the author had copied writings, which were on the buildings of the city and thus draw up a short presentation about the history of the temple. (14)

 

HARAN

 

When Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeas with his family, he went to Haran. This town is mentioned in ancient Assyrian and Babylonian inscriptions, among others. Its name in Assyrian sources is Harranu (road, route, caravan) because it was situated along a very important trade route:

 

- (Gen 11:31) And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and dwelled there.

 

SHECHEM

 

The town of Shechem was one of the towns Abraham lived in. Archaeologists have explored its ruins; and it is mentioned in ancient Egyptian inscriptions, and in the letters of Amarna.

 

- (Gen 12:6) And Abram passed through the land to the place of Sichem, to the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

 

BETHEL

 

Bethel, a town started in the time of Abraham, was recently found by archeologists. It is also mentioned in an Egyptian inscription.

 

- (Gen 12:8) And he removed from there to a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he built an altar to the LORD, and called on the name of the LORD.

 

NAHOR

 

Nahor, the hometown of Rebekah, is mentioned often in the clay tablets of Mari, which were found in 1935 but date back to 1700 years B.C. The servant of Abraham went to fetch Rebekah from this town to be the wife of Isaac.

 

- (Gen 24:10) And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

 

SODOM AND GOMORRAH

 

One of the most dramatic events recorded in the Bible is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. These towns were destroyed because of their residents’ evil and sinful acts.

   Clay tablets found in Ebla in Syria dated back to between 2600- and 2300 B.C. mention the sale of goods in Damascus, Admah, Zeboim, Sodom and Gomorrah. All these names are familiar to students of the Bible. This indicates that those towns have really existed.

 

- (Gen 10:19) And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you come to Gerar, to Gaza; as you go, to Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even to Lasha. 

 

- (Gen 13:10) And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.

 

- (Lam 4:6) For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

 

- (Eze 16:49) Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

 

- (Luke 17:32- 33) Remember Lot’s wife.

33  Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

 

- (2 Peter 2:6-7) And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample to those that after should live ungodly;

7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

 

HAZOR

 

Hazor is a town whose king was Jabin, according to the Bible. The name of this town is recorded in many Egyptian and Acadian writings. Archeological digs of the town have produced cuneiform texts that mention the name Jabin, the same king who, according to the Bible, ruled this town.

 

- (Jos 11:1) And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,

 

GEZER

 

Gezer is a town mentioned in the Book of Joshua. Archeologists have uncovered many artifacts there, and it is mentioned in an Egyptian inscription.

 

- (Jos 16:3) And goes down westward to the coast of Japhleti, to the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer; and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

 

MEGIDDO

 

Megiddo is first mentioned in the Book of Joshua. It was mentioned later as one of King Solomon’s administrative towns. This town has been found by archaeologists; it is mentioned in one Egyptian inscription, and it is mentioned in the clay tablets of Ebla.

 

- (Jos 17:11) And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Bethshean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

 

SHILOH

 

Shiloh was the center of worship during the time of Joshua. It was conquered by the Philistines in about 1050 B.C. and was destroyed because of the wickedness of Israel. The prophet Samuel spent his childhood in this place:

 

- (Jos 18:1) And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

 

- (1 Sam 1:24) And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.

 

- (Ps 78:60) So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

 

- (Jer 7:12) But go you now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.

 

MIZPEH

 

One of the judges of Israel was Jephthah the Gileadite, who lived, among other places, in a town called Mizpeh. This town has been found by archaeologists.

   Handles of clay dishes have been found bearing the name Mizpeh from a place called Tell en-Nasbe, which is situated 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) north of Jerusalem.

 

- (Judges 11:11) Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

 

THE GOLD OF OPHIR

 

According to the Bible, Ophir was a place from which gold was fetched. Even though that place has not been found, its existence can be indirectly verified. A broken piece of a crock originating from the middle of the 8^th century B.C has been found from the north side of the Tel Aviv harbor. On it was written the following:

 

"Gold of Ophir to Beth-Horon: 30 shekels.”

 

- (1 King 9:27-28) And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

28  And they came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

 

THE TUNNEL OF HEZEKIAH

 

According to the Bible, one of the just rulers of Judah was King Hezekiah, who also built Jerusalem to some extent.

   Archaeologists discovered a 520-meter-long (approximately 1,706 feet) water conduit running beneath Jerusalem. This aqueduct bears his name. The tunnel was first built so residents could get water if the city was under siege. In 1880, six lines of text hammered into rock were found at one end of the tunnel. This text tells about the completion of the tunnel and about the joy of two worker groups when they faced each other deep inside the hill of Ophel.

 

- (2 King 20:20) And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?