Where is Suphah in the Bible?

Suphah is mentioned only once in the Bible, in Numbers 21:14, as a location referenced in the 'Book of the Wars of the Lord.' It is described as being in the region of the Arnon, which is in the territory of Moab.

What happened at Suphah in the Bible?

The Bible does not record a specific event at Suphah. Its mention in Numbers 21:14 is part of a poetic quotation about the Israelites' journey, indicating it was a known geographical point during their travels in the wilderness.

What is the significance of Suphah?

Suphah's significance is primarily geographical, helping to map the route of the Israelites' wilderness wanderings. Its inclusion in an ancient source, the 'Book of the Wars of the Lord,' suggests it was a recognizable landmark of the time.

Suphah

cityOld TestamentSinai

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Modern Name

Sufeh

Country

Egypt

Region

Sinai

Coordinates

28.7500, 34.7500

Suphah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Sinai in modern-day Egypt. Known today as Sufeh. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.

Biblical History

Suphah appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Numbers 21:14, within a quotation from an ancient source called "the Book of the Wars of the LORD." This archaic poetic fragment mentions "Waheb in Suphah" in connection with the wadi Arnon, situating Israel's wilderness journey in the Transjordanian region. The reference is among the oldest embedded texts in the Pentateuch and preserves geographical memory of Israelite movements through territories east of the Dead Sea. The Arnon gorge itself was a formidable natural boundary between Moab and the Amorite kingdom of Sihon, and the Israelites' passage through or along this region marked a transitional moment in their wilderness journey as they moved northward toward Canaan. Suphah's exact significance within this fragment is obscure — it may designate a specific location, a district, or a region associated with reed-bearing terrain (the root suph meaning reeds). The quotation from the Book of the Wars of the LORD, a now-lost ancient Israelite war chronicle, hints at a rich tradition of epic literature surrounding Israel's early history, of which only fragmentary citations survive in the canonical text.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

The precise identification of Suphah remains elusive to scholarship. Based on its context in Numbers 21:14 alongside the Arnon River (modern Wadi Mujib in Jordan), the site would be located somewhere in the Transjordanian plateau or the Arnon gorge vicinity. The Arnon gorge itself is one of the most dramatic geographical features of the region, cutting deeply through the Moabite plateau. Archaeological surveys of the Arnon valley have documented significant Bronze Age and Iron Age occupation at sites such as Khirbet Medeineh. The reference to Suphah in an archaic poetic source suggests genuine early geographical knowledge of the region, but no secure archaeological identification has been established.

Verse Appearances (1)

Num

Num 21:14

Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →

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