Almon-diblathaim
Almon-diblathaim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Transjordan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Duleilat esh Sharqiyeh. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Almon-diblathaim was one of the stations in Israel's wilderness journey through the Transjordan, recorded in the comprehensive itinerary of Numbers 33:46–47 as lying between Dibon-gad and the mountains of Abarim before Nebo. The place name likely means 'concealment of the two fig-cakes,' though its precise etymology is debated. Jeremiah 48:22 mentions Beth-diblathaim as a Moabite city subject to divine judgment, and this is almost certainly the same location under a slightly different designation. The region of Moab through which Israel passed during the wilderness journey was the same territory where Moses would eventually die on Mount Nebo, within sight of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 34). Almon-diblathaim thus sits within the sacred geography of Israel's final approach to Canaan — a threshold zone between the long years of wandering and the imminent inheritance, charged with anticipation, covenant renewal, and the solemn death of the great lawgiver.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Almon-diblathaim is tentatively identified with Duleilat esh Sharqiyeh (or related nearby sites) on the Moabite plateau east of the Dead Sea in modern Jordan. The Moabite tableland has been surveyed as part of several regional projects, including the archaeological survey associated with the Madaba plains. The region was densely settled during the Iron Age, and numerous sites preserve remains from the periods corresponding to both Israelite wilderness travel and the Moabite kingdom period addressed in Jeremiah's oracles. The identification of specific biblical stations along the wilderness route remains provisional, as the itinerary of Numbers 33 mentions many sites not yet confidently located. Ongoing survey work in the Jordanian highlands continues to refine the geographical picture.
Verse Appearances (2)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →