Euphrates
Euphrates is a river mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Egypt in modern-day Egypt. Known today as Wadi al Hasa. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
This entry appears to conflate two distinct geographic features. The Euphrates River is one of Scripture's most significant waterways, originating in Eden (Genesis 2:14) and defining the northeastern boundary of the Promised Land. However, the coordinates and modern name (Wadi al Hasa) given here point to a seasonal wadi in Jordan rather than the Euphrates proper. Wadi al Hasa, known in antiquity as the Zered, forms the border between ancient Moab and Edom in the Transjordan region. The Brook Zered appears in Numbers 21:12 and Deuteronomy 2:13–14 as a significant waypoint in Israel's wilderness journey, it was here that the forty years of wandering effectively concluded, with the last of the condemned generation having died. Crossing the Zered marked a new era for the Israelite nation as they prepared to enter the Promised Land from the east. This watercourse thus functions in Scripture as a boundary marker in both geography and redemptive history, separating the generation of unbelief from the generation of conquest and inheritance.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Wadi al Hasa runs approximately 120 kilometers through southern Jordan, draining into the southern end of the Dead Sea. Archaeological surveys along the wadi have documented settlement continuity from the Chalcolithic period through the Iron Age and into later periods. The wadi served as a natural boundary and communication corridor between the ancient kingdoms of Edom and Moab. Survey pottery from sites along its banks reflects occupation during periods corresponding to the Exodus and settlement narratives. The wadi's seasonal flow made it a reliable water source in an otherwise arid region. Nelson Glueck's surveys in the early 20th century provided foundational data on sites along this route.
Verse Appearances (2)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
- Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Lawrence, D. et al. (2025) Villages to Empires: a settlement dataset for the Southern Levant. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]