Elath
Elath is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Negev in modern-day Israel. Known today as Aqaba. It appears across 6 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Elath, also spelled Eloth, was Israel's port city on the northern arm of the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aqaba), serving as the southern terminus of the King's Highway and a gateway to maritime trade. The city is first mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:8, where Israel passes near it during the wilderness journey. Solomon exploited Elath's strategic position, building a fleet at nearby Ezion-geber to conduct trade with Ophir (1 Kings 9:26–28). Subsequent Israelite and Judahite kings contested control of this valuable port: Amaziah captured Edom and took Elath (2 Kings 14:22), and his son Uzziah rebuilt and retained it. However, during the reign of Ahaz, the Edomites recovered Elath and expelled the Judahites (2 Kings 16:6), ending Judahite access to Red Sea commerce. The city's history thus mirrors the fluctuating fortunes of Judah's power and its ability to project influence southward, with control of Elath representing access to the wealth of Arabia and Africa that had enriched Solomon's kingdom. The loss of Elath under Ahaz was one symptom of the broader political and spiritual decline that preceded Judah's eventual fall.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Elath is associated with modern Aqaba in Jordan and neighboring Eilat in Israel, at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Nearby Tell el-Kheleifeh, excavated by Nelson Glueck in the 1930s, was long identified as biblical Ezion-geber or Elath, with Glueck famously but incorrectly identifying a structure as Solomon's copper smelter. Later analysis revised this interpretation; the site appears to have been a storage facility and possible administrative center. Pottery from the site spans the Iron Age II period, consistent with Solomonic and later Israelite use. The broader Aqaba region's archaeological record confirms its importance as a trade crossroads connecting Arabia, Egypt, and the Levant throughout antiquity.
Verse Appearances (6)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →