Oboth
Oboth is a location mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Negev in modern-day Israel. Known today as Ein Weibeh. It appears across 4 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Oboth was a stopping place on Israel's wilderness journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, mentioned in Numbers 21:10-11 and Numbers 33:43-44. After the Israelites departed from Punon (or following the incident of the bronze serpent), they camped at Oboth before continuing to Iye-abarim on the border of Moab. The name Oboth may derive from a Hebrew root meaning "waterskins" or "water holes," suggesting the site offered water resources critical for sustaining the traveling nation in the arid Arabah region. Oboth's mention comes during the final phase of the wilderness wanderings, as Israel moved northward along the eastern side of the Arabah Valley toward Transjordan, circumventing Edomite territory after being denied passage through Edom (Numbers 20:14-21). Though no dramatic events are specifically narrated at Oboth, each wilderness station bore witness to God's faithful provision during the forty-year journey. The systematic recording of these camps in Numbers 33 served as a memorial of God's guidance through inhospitable terrain, reminding future generations of divine faithfulness even in the most barren landscapes.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Oboth is tentatively identified with Ein Weibeh (also spelled Ain el-Weiba), an oasis site located in the southern Arabah Valley of modern Israel, west of the Jordanian border. The identification rests primarily on the site's location along the probable route of the Israelite wilderness journey and the presence of a reliable water source in otherwise arid terrain. Ein Weibeh features natural springs that have supported intermittent habitation throughout history. Archaeological surveys in the Arabah have documented various ancient campsites and way stations along north-south travel routes connecting the Gulf of Aqaba with the Dead Sea region. The harsh desert environment has limited the preservation of remains from transient encampments such as those described in Numbers. Alternative identifications have been proposed, but Ein Weibeh remains the most commonly cited candidate.
Verse Appearances (4)
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]