Madiama
Madiama is an ancient city mentioned in the Bible, located in the region of Arabia in modern-day Egypt. Known today as Al Bad.
Biblical History
Madiama is the Greek form of Midian, referenced in Acts 7:29 in Stephen's speech before the Sanhedrin. Stephen recounts how Moses, after killing the Egyptian, fled to the land of Madiama (Midian), where he lived as a sojourner and fathered two sons. This forty-year period in Midian was a crucial phase of preparation in Moses' life, transforming him from an Egyptian prince into a humble shepherd ready to lead God's people. In Midian, Moses married Zipporah, daughter of Jethro the priest, and encountered God at the burning bush on Mount Horeb (Exodus 2:15-3:12). The Midianite territory stretched across the northwestern Arabian Peninsula along the eastern shore of the Gulf of Aqaba. Midian played a complex role in Israel's story: Jethro provided wise counsel on governance (Exodus 18), yet later Midianites became adversaries who oppressed Israel during the period of the judges, until Gideon's famous victory (Judges 6-8). Madiama thus represents both a place of divine preparation and the broader theme of God working through unexpected locations and peoples.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Madiama (Midian) is associated with the northwestern Arabian Peninsula, with its principal settlement identified as Al-Bad' (ancient Madian) in the Tabuk Province of modern Saudi Arabia. The site features remarkable rock-cut tombs known locally as Mugha'ir Shu'ayb (Caves of Jethro), with elaborately carved Nabataean-style facades dating to the first centuries BCE and CE, though the site's occupation extends much earlier. Archaeological surveys have documented Bronze and Iron Age pottery in the region. The broader Midianite territory, stretching from the Gulf of Aqaba inland, has yielded distinctive Midianite pottery characterized by bichrome painted decoration, found at sites including Timna and Qurayya. Recent Saudi-led archaeological initiatives have begun systematic investigation of sites in the region, revealing a more developed ancient civilization than previously recognized.
Verse Appearances (0)
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]