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 Migdol reference relates to the same Egyptian border fortress mentioned in connection with the Israelite exodus and later prophetic oracles. The name Migdol, derived from the Semitic word for "tower," was used for fortified positions along Egypt's northeastern frontier. In the context of Numbers 33:7, the Israelites' wilderness itinerary records their encampment near Migdol during the early stages of the exodus journey, confirming the site's location along the route out of Egypt. The association of Migdol with Israel's departure from bondage gives it theological significance as a landmark of liberation. Jeremiah later references Migdol as a place where fugitive Judeans settled in Egypt after Jerusalem's destruction (Jeremiah 44:1), creating a bitter irony: the descendants of those God had freed from Egypt had returned to dwell beside the very fortifications their ancestors passed during the exodus. Ezekiel employs Migdol as a geographical boundary marker in his oracles against Egypt (Ezekiel 29:10; 30:6), indicating the totality of divine judgment from the northern frontier of Migdol to the southern reaches of Syene.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The identification of this Migdol with Tell el-Herr reflects the general scholarly consensus that the northeastern Sinai border zone hosted fortifications bearing this name across multiple periods. Egyptian records reference multiple "migdols" along the Ways of Horus, the military road connecting Egypt to Canaan. Papyrus Anastasi V mentions a Migdol of Seti-Merenptah in this region. Tell el-Herr's excavations have revealed a Persian-period fortress that may represent a continuation of earlier military installations. The broader network of Egyptian frontier fortifications has been mapped through satellite imagery and ground surveys, revealing a chain of forts and way stations that controlled movement between Egypt and the Levant, providing the historical context for the biblical references to Migdol.
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]