Hena
Hena is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Syria in modern-day Syria. Known today as Anah. It appears across 3 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Hena is one of several cities cited by the Assyrian commander Rabshakeh in his taunting speech to Hezekiah and Jerusalem during Sennacherib's siege in 701 BC. In 2 Kings 18:34 and Isaiah 36:19, Rabshakeh challenges Hezekiah's trust in the Lord by listing cities whose gods proved powerless against Assyria: 'Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?' The rhetorical point is that the gods of these already-conquered cities could not save their worshippers, so why should Jerusalem's God be any different? This blasphemous speech prompted Hezekiah's famous prayer in the temple and the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem recorded in 2 Kings 19. Hena is typically identified with Anah on the Euphrates River in modern Syria, a city of sufficient importance for the Assyrians to highlight its conquest. The reference to Hena in Rabshakeh's speech thus serves as a foil for the biblical demonstration that the God of Israel, unlike the gods of the nations, truly has the power to save.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Hena is generally identified with Anah (ancient Anat), a city on the Euphrates River in central Syria, known today as a modern town that was partially submerged by the Lake Assad reservoir. Ancient Anah appears in Assyrian annals as a strategic Euphrates crossing point subdued during various campaigns. The site preserves evidence of continuous habitation from the Bronze Age through the Islamic period. Before the reservoir's construction, archaeological surveys identified multi-period remains at the ancient tell. Anah is attested in Mari texts and later Assyrian records, confirming its importance as a regional center. The city's location on the Euphrates made it a significant point of Assyrian military and commercial operations in the region.
Verse Appearances (3)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →