Much like the garden of Eden, the location of the place called Tarshish in the Bible has become shrouded in mystery over time. The word Tarshish is mentioned over 25 times in Scripture, yet few geographical clues are found in these references to help pinpoint the location, and some of them actually seem to contradict […]
Category Archives: Judges Period
Mount Tabor and Its Surrounding Tribal Boundaries
Among the gentle foothills of Lower Galilee stands the distinctly recognizable peak called Mount Tabor, which many scholars believe was a common cultic center for the surrounding tribes during the time of the Old Testament (see Deuteronomy 33:18-19). As such, Tabor does not appear to have been included within any of the tribes’ allotted territory […]
Saul Searches for His Father’s Donkeys
1 Samuel 9-10 Despite the generous supply of geographical references surrounding the story of Saul searching for his father’s donkeys, the narrative has led to much confusion regarding exactly where Saul went. Most of the locations mentioned in the story, including Shalishah, Shaalim, Zuph, Zelzah, and Gibeah-elohim, have had multiple suggestions offered as the places […]
Levitical Cities
Numbers 35:1-8; Joshua 21:1-42; 1 Chronicles 6:54-80 Unlike the other tribes of Israel, the tribe of Levi was not allotted any portion in the Promised Land for their inheritance (Numbers 18:20-24; 26:62; Deuteronomy 10:9; 18:1-2; Joshua 18:7). Instead, they were supported by the tithes of the other Israelites and were allotted various towns to inhabit […]
Elam and the City of Susa
Though the nation of Elam receives limited attention in Scripture, the history of this ancient civilization spans nearly the entire breadth of the Bible from Genesis to Acts. After being listed among the descendants of Shem (Genesis 10:22), Elam is noted as one of the four Mesopotamian nations whose kings traveled to Canaan during Abraham’s […]