Amana
Amana is a mountain mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Lebanon. Known today as Jebel Zabadani. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Amana appears in the Old Testament in the poetic context of the Song of Solomon (Song 4:8), where the beloved is invited to descend from the heights of Lebanon, from the peak of Amana, alongside Senir and Hermon. The reference places Amana in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range to the north of Israel, in the region associated with the source of the Abana (or Amana) River, one of the rivers of Damascus mentioned in 2 Kings 5:12. The mountain lends its name to the river that flows from its snowfields southward toward Damascus. In the Song of Solomon, Amana's mention alongside the wild, remote peaks of Lebanon evokes the untamed splendor of creation and the distant, longed-for beloved. The Anti-Lebanon range formed part of the ideal northern boundary of greater Canaan, and references to its peaks in Scripture frequently signal the outer reaches of the Promised Land. Amana thus appears as a symbol of majestic, distant beauty in the landscape of biblical poetry.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Amana is generally identified with the Anti-Lebanon range, with its peak tentatively associated with the area near Jebel Zabadani in modern Lebanon and Syria, close to the source of the Barada River (the ancient Abana). The region forms part of the Beqaa Valley watershed. No specific archaeological excavation has targeted a site called Amana, as it is a geographic mountain designation rather than a town. The broader Anti-Lebanon range contains Bronze and Iron Age sites attesting to ancient habitation and trade routes. The snowmelt from these heights feeds the rivers of Damascus, a hydrological feature that has remained constant from antiquity to the present day.
Verse Appearances (1)
Song
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →