Eglath-shelishiyah
Eglath-shelishiyah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Al Safi. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Eglath-shelishiyah is a place-name preserved in two parallel prophetic texts — Isaiah 15:5 and Jeremiah 48:34 — both of which form part of extended oracles lamenting the devastation of Moab. The name, meaning approximately "the third Eglath" or "the heifer of the third year," has puzzled interpreters for centuries. In Isaiah's oracle the prophet, with apparent grief, describes Moabite fugitives fleeing as far as Eglath-shelishiyah, suggesting it marked the southernmost extent of the panic spreading through the land. Jeremiah reproduces the same geographical reference, testifying to a shared tradition about Moabite territory. These oracles, likely reflecting Assyrian campaigns of the 8th century BC or later Babylonian incursions, depict a comprehensive collapse of Moabite society — its cities emptied, its people weeping on the high places, its prosperity stripped away in fulfillment of divine judgment. Even if the precise location remains uncertain, the repeated appearance of this peculiar toponym in two major prophets establishes it as a genuine place known to ancient audiences and meaningful for understanding the scope of Moab's ruin.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Eglath-shelishiyah has been tentatively associated with the area near Al Safi in the southern Jordan Valley, close to the Dead Sea's southeastern shore, in ancient Moabite territory. The region has been surveyed as part of broader investigations into the Ghor es-Safi area, which has yielded evidence of Bronze Age and Iron Age occupation. Ghor es-Safi itself has been excavated and identified with biblical Zoar. The broader landscape is archaeologically rich, with numerous sites attesting to continuous human habitation exploiting the fertile alluvial deposits of the Jordan valley terminus. The precise identification of Eglath-shelishiyah remains debated among scholars, with some proposing it as a common noun rather than a proper place-name.
Verse Appearances (2)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →