Mount Hermon
Mount Hermon is a mountain mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Israel. It appears across 16 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Mount Hermon stands as the most prominent mountain in the northern boundary of biblical Israel, rising majestically at the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon range. It is first mentioned in Deuteronomy 3:8-9, where Moses recounts taking the territory of Sihon and Og from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, noting that the Sidonians called it Sirion and the Amorites called it Senir. The mountain served as the northern limit of Joshua's conquests (Joshua 11:17; 12:1). In the Psalms, Hermon appears as a symbol of God's creative majesty, with Psalm 133:3 comparing the unity of brethren to the dew of Hermon descending on the mountains of Zion. Psalm 89:12 declares that Tabor and Hermon rejoice in God's name. The mountain's snow-capped heights, visible from great distances, made it a natural symbol of grandeur and divine provision, as its snowmelt fed the Jordan River, sustaining life throughout the land. Many scholars identify Hermon as the likely site of Jesus' Transfiguration, given its proximity to Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13; 17:1-2).
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Mount Hermon is the highest peak in the region at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), straddling the borders of modern Lebanon, Syria, and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The mountain is definitively identified and retains its ancient name. Archaeological surveys have documented over thirty ancient temple sites on its slopes, ranging from Bronze Age to Roman periods, testifying to its longstanding significance as a sacred mountain. The summit contains the ruins of a Roman-period temple known as Qasr Antar, the highest known ancient temple in the Near East. An inscription found there references a divine oath, possibly connected to the traditions in 1 Enoch about fallen angels descending on Hermon. The Israeli ski resort at the mountain's southern base provides modern access.
Verse Appearances (16)
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]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]