Tophel
Tophel is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Transjordan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tafila. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Tophel appears only once in Scripture, in the opening verse of Deuteronomy, which situates Moses's farewell discourse geographically: "These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan — that is, in the Arabah — opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab" (Deuteronomy 1:1). The verse establishes the wilderness setting for the entire book of Deuteronomy, identifying the location where Israel received Moses's extended final address before crossing the Jordan. Tophel's appearance in this geographic list suggests it was a known waypoint or settlement in the Transjordanian region south of the Dead Sea, lying somewhere in the vicinity of Edom. The name may derive from a root meaning "lime" or "mortar," potentially referencing geological features of the landscape. Though Tophel itself plays no independent narrative role, its mention in Deuteronomy's opening verse gives it canonical significance: it marks the solemn moment when Israel stood on the threshold of the promised land, receiving the covenant stipulations that would govern their life in it.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Tophel is widely identified with Tafila (also spelled Tafileh), a town in central Jordan approximately 25 kilometers south of the Dead Sea in the Edomite highlands. The Arabic toponym Tafila preserves a plausible phonetic correspondence with the Hebrew Tophel. The region around Tafila features significant Iron Age and earlier occupation, consistent with an Edomite-period settlement history. Edomite pottery and architectural remains have been documented in surveys of the broader area. No major excavation has specifically targeted a biblical Tophel identification at Tafila, but the linguistic correspondence and geographic location within the Transjordanian wilderness corridor make the identification reasonable to most scholars.
Verse Appearances (1)
Deut
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →