Senaah
Senaah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet el Aujah el Foqa. It appears across 3 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Senaah appears in the post-exilic records of Ezra and Nehemiah as one of the communities that returned from Babylonian captivity. In Ezra 2:35, the sons of Senaah are numbered at 3,630, making theirs one of the largest contingents among the returning exiles. The parallel list in Nehemiah 7:38 gives the number as 3,930. This sizeable population suggests Senaah was a significant town, and its large returning contingent demonstrates the community's eagerness to participate in the restoration of Judah. The town also appears in Nehemiah 3:3, where the sons of Hassenaah (likely the same community, with the Hebrew definite article prefixed) built the Fish Gate during the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. They "laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars." The Fish Gate, located in the northern wall, was an important commercial entrance through which fish from the Mediterranean or the Jordan Valley entered the city. Senaah's contribution to both the returning population and the wall reconstruction demonstrates the vital role that ordinary communities played in God's work of restoration after exile.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Senaah is tentatively identified with Khirbet el-Aujah el-Foqa, located near the spring of Ain el-Aujah in the Jordan Valley, approximately 12 kilometers north of Jericho. The site's location near a perennial water source in the otherwise arid lower Jordan Valley would support a sizeable population, consistent with the large numbers recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah. Archaeological surveys have identified Iron Age and Persian-period pottery at the site, aligning with both pre-exilic and post-exilic occupation. Some scholars have alternatively proposed Khirbet Lifsim or Magdal Senna as candidates. The region's warm climate and access to water from the Wadi Qelt system made it agriculturally productive, explaining the community's ability to sustain a large population.
Verse Appearances (3)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →