En-rogel
En-rogel is a location mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Bir Ayub. It appears across 6 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
En-rogel, meaning 'spring of the fuller' or 'spring of the foot,' is a spring located just southeast of Jerusalem at the junction of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys. It served as a significant boundary marker between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:7; 18:16). En-rogel appears at several pivotal moments in Israel's political history. Jonathan and Ahimaaz hid here as spies during Absalom's rebellion, receiving intelligence to relay to David (2 Samuel 17:17). After David's death, when Adonijah attempted to seize the throne, he held a great feast 'beside the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel' (1 Kings 1:9), while across the city Solomon was being anointed king at Gihon. En-rogel thus served as a stage for rival claims to David's throne. The spring's enduring presence at the meeting of two valleys meant it was perpetually significant in Jerusalem's geography, serving military, political, and boundary purposes throughout the monarchic period.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
En-rogel is identified with Bir Ayub ('Job's Well'), a deep stone-lined well located at the base of the Kidron Valley south of the City of David, near the modern village of Silwan. Unlike the Gihon Spring higher up the Kidron Valley, Bir Ayub draws from a deeper aquifer and does not surge intermittently. The well has been in continuous use since antiquity and is still accessible today. Archaeological surveys of the Kidron-Hinnom valley junction have revealed evidence of human activity from the Bronze Age onward. The area surrounding En-rogel, including the Silwan necropolis carved into the Kidron Valley cliffs, has yielded significant Iron Age tomb inscriptions and burial goods dating to the period of the Judahite monarchy.
Verse Appearances (6)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →