Sela
Sela is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Negev in modern-day Israel. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
This Sela entry, sharing coordinates with another Sela listing but appearing in a single verse, likely refers to a specific mention of the rocky Edomite stronghold in one particular prophetic or historical context. The Hebrew word sela appears throughout Scripture both as a proper noun designating specific locations and as a common noun meaning "rock" or "cliff." In Isaiah 42:11, the prophet calls upon "the inhabitants of Sela" to sing for joy and shout from the mountaintops, as the Lord goes forth like a mighty warrior to triumph over His enemies. This remarkable passage transforms Sela from a symbol of Edomite hostility into a participant in universal praise of Yahweh. The vision is eschatological: even the remotest and most resistant places will join in acknowledging God's sovereignty. This redemptive reversal, from a fortress of opposition to a platform of praise, captures a central biblical theme. The rock that once symbolized proud defiance becomes a vantage point for worshiping the God of Israel, anticipating the day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess the Lord's glory.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The archaeological context for this Sela mirrors that of the broader es-Sela complex in the Edomite highlands of southern Jordan. The region between Tafila and Buseirah contains multiple rocky eminences that could have borne the designation Sela at various periods. Iron Age Edomite pottery, along with evidence of agricultural terracing and water management, has been found across the area. The Edomite kingdom reached its peak in the seventh-sixth centuries BC, the same period as many of the prophetic oracles mentioning Sela. Following Edom's decline, the Nabataeans occupied the region, building upon and adapting earlier settlement sites. Modern surveys continue to map the extensive network of ancient sites in this archaeologically rich but underexplored territory.
Verse Appearances (1)
Isa
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]