Mount Hor
Mount Hor is a mountain mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Negev in modern-day Israel. Known today as Har Zin. It appears across 10 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Mount Hor near the border of Edom is one of the most significant wilderness stations in Israel's journey from Egypt to Canaan. It is best known as the place where Aaron the high priest died and was buried, as recorded in Numbers 20:22-29. When the congregation arrived at Mount Hor after the Edomites refused them passage, God told Moses and Aaron that Aaron would not enter the Promised Land because of their rebellion at the waters of Meribah. Moses led Aaron and his son Eleazar up the mountain, transferred Aaron's priestly garments to Eleazar, and Aaron died on the summit. The entire congregation mourned Aaron for thirty days (Numbers 20:29). Mount Hor also appears in the wilderness itinerary of Numbers 33:37-41, which notes it was on the edge of the land of Edom. The mountain thus marks a pivotal moment of transition in Israel's priesthood and a solemn reminder of the consequences of unfaithfulness, even for God's chosen leaders.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The traditional identification of Mount Hor is Jebel Harun ("Aaron's Mountain"), a peak rising to 1,350 meters near the ancient Nabataean city of Petra in southern Jordan. A small white mosque and shrine dedicated to Aaron crowns its summit, maintained as a site of pilgrimage by Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Archaeological investigation of the summit area has uncovered remains of a Byzantine monastery and church, indicating veneration of the site from at least the fifth century AD. Finnish archaeologists conducted systematic excavations on the mountain between 1997 and 2007, revealing monastic structures, ceramics, and liturgical objects. An alternative identification places Mount Hor at Jebel Madeira, northwest of Kadesh-barnea, based on geographic analysis of the Israelite route.
Verse Appearances (10)
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]