Gareb
Gareb is a mountain mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Jerusalem. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Gareb is a hill mentioned in a single passage in the Old Testament, the profound prophecy of restoration in Jeremiah 31:39, where it appears as a geographical marker defining the future extent of rebuilt Jerusalem. In the context of Jeremiah's Book of Consolation (chapters 30–33), which contains some of the most hopeful promises in prophetic literature including the promise of a new covenant (31:31–34), the prophet describes the city's boundaries in eschatological terms. He declares that a measuring line shall go out to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah, indicating that the rebuilt city will encompass areas previously outside its walls. This vision of Jerusalem's expansion signals not merely physical reconstruction but spiritual renewal and God's faithful restoration of his covenant people after exile. The exact location of Gareb is uncertain, but it was clearly a topographical feature recognizable to Jeremiah's audience. Its inclusion in this eschatological boundary description associates even obscure geographical landmarks with the grand narrative of divine redemption and restoration.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The precise location of the hill of Gareb remains unknown and has not been definitively established through archaeological investigation. Various scholars have proposed different identifications, situating Gareb to the northwest or southwest of ancient Jerusalem, possibly in the area of the western hill. The topography of Jerusalem and its immediate surroundings has been extensively studied, particularly through excavations in the City of David, the Jewish Quarter, and the Hinnom Valley area. No site has been identified with certainty as Gareb. Its mention alongside Goah in Jeremiah 31:39 suggests it was a recognizable local landmark, but without corroborating textual or material evidence its precise position on the landscape cannot be confirmed.
Verse Appearances (1)
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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]