Migdol
Migdol is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Sinai in modern-day Egypt. Known today as Tell el Herr. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
This entry for Migdol represents an additional reference to the fortified Egyptian border settlement that appears in prophetic literature. Ezekiel employs Migdol as a key geographic reference point in his oracles of judgment against Egypt. In Ezekiel 29:10, the prophet declares that Egypt will be made an utter waste and desolation "from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush," using Migdol to represent the northernmost extent of Egyptian territory. Similarly, Ezekiel 30:6 prophesies that those who support Egypt shall fall "from Migdol to Syene." This merism, pairing the northern fortress of Migdol with the southern city of Syene (modern Aswan), encompasses the entirety of the Egyptian realm under divine judgment. Jeremiah 46:14 also calls out to Migdol, commanding the prophet to announce judgment coming upon Egypt through Nebuchadnezzar's invasion. The prophetic use of Migdol demonstrates that even mighty Egypt, with its frontier fortresses and military power, could not withstand the judgment of Israel's God, who sovereignty extends over all nations.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
As with the other Migdol entries, this reference points to the Egyptian frontier fortification zone in the northeastern Sinai. The region around Tell el-Herr and the broader Pelusiac branch of the Nile Delta hosted numerous military installations from the New Kingdom through the Ptolemaic period. Archaeological surveys conducted by the North Sinai Survey project documented dozens of ancient sites along the coastal route, many featuring the remains of mudbrick fortifications. The prophetic pairing of Migdol with Syene (modern Aswan) accurately reflects ancient Egyptian geographic terminology for describing the full extent of the kingdom, a convention also attested in Egyptian texts that speak of the land from the Delta marshes to the first cataract.
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]