Biblical Sites in Jordan with historical sources
The Gilead Region
A-Z Gilead Sites
Region: Genesis 31:21; Judges 11:29; 2 Samuel 2:9; Jeremiah 8:22; Ancient Near Eastern Texts: Amarna Letters: Mention of Gilead (EA 256, 245).
1. Admah: (Adam today) where water were stopped near Zarethan (Damia) Joshua 3:16.
2. Ajloun Castle: Ajloun Castle is not mentioned in the Bible because it was not built until the 12th century by the Ayyubid dynasty, but it does appear in several medieval Islamic sources including Ibn al-Athir in Al-Kamil fi at-Tarikh (The Complete History) and Yaqut al-Hamawi in his Mu'jam al-Buldan (Dictionary of Countries). Ibn Battuta, the famous 14th-century Moroccan traveler, mentions Ajloun Castle during his travels through the Levant, highlighting its military and administrative role.
3. Jabbok: (Zarqa River Overlook see also Penuel below) Genesis 32:22, Deuteronomy 2:37 (View toward where Jacob wrestled with angel); Annals of Sennacherib (ANET, p. 288).
4. Jazer of Gilead: (near Bab Al Hawa and Bader Al Jadeedah west of Amman) Moses men destroyed Amorites in Numbers 21:21-23; Place Gad and Reuben wanted in Numbers 32:1ff.
5. Jerash: The ten cities of the Decapolis that included Jerash also included Beth Shean, Hippos or Sussita, Gadara, Pella, Dion, Canatha, Raphana, Philadelphia (Amman), and Damascus,Syria. The Decapolis is mentioned three times in the New Testament: in Mark 7:31, also in Mark 5:20 and in Matthew 4:25. Ten Roman historians mentioned Gerasa from Pliny the Younger to Dio Cassius — it was a well-known Greek and Roman city.
6. Kamon: (Qumaym, west of Irbid) Jair the Gileadite, Judges 10:3.
7. Pella: Early Christian flight to Pella (Ebionite?) Though not in the Bible, eight historians or material finds help us understand the geography, situation and culture of Pella: 1. Eusebius of Caesarea (Historia Ecclesiastica, Book III, Chapter 5); 2. Josephus: Bellum Judaicum (The Jewish War), Book III, Chapter 3 mentions Pella in the context of the First Jewish-Roman War. 3. Pliny the Elder: Naturalis Historia (Natural History), Book V, Chapter 16, named famous cities of the Decapolis are Damascus, Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippo, Dion, Pella, and Gerasa.” 4. Stephanus of Byzantium: Ethnica, a Byzantine grammarian, provides geographical and etymological details about Pella. 5. Ptolemy: Geographia (Geography), Book V, Chapter 14. 6. Tabula Peutingeriana. This ancient Roman map depicts Pella along the major trade and travel routes. 7. Coins and Inscriptions: Pella minted its own coins during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. 8. Epiphanius of Salamis (Panarion or Medicine Chest, Book XXIX).
8. Penuel: (Tall adh-Dhahab el-Gharbiyeh) Jacob wrestled with angel (Genesis 32:22–32; Hosea 12:3–5), meeting of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 33) and Gideon (Judges 8:8); see also Dt. 3:16; 1 Kings 12:25 and Possible Amarna letters: Mention of Penuel (EA 256).
9. Ramoth Gilead: (Near Irbid): 1 Kings 22:3; 2 Kings 8:28; 2 Chronicles 18:3; Assyrian Inscriptions: Mention of Ramoth-Gilead.
10. Sheik Hussein Bridge: this is the northern international border crossing opposite Beth Shean.
11. Tishbe: (Tal Mar Elias near Ajloun Cable Car. 1 Kings 17:1.
12. Tob: (Taybeh, south of Qumaym or perhaps a region southeast of Edrei in Syria - uncertain). Jephthah settled here Judges 11:1-3.
13. Umm Qais: (Gadara as a Decapolis City; Cave of the Prophet Issa, and OT Kedemoth): Matthew 4:25; Matthew 8:28–32; Mark 5:20; 7:31; (Kedemoth: Deuteronomy 2:26; Joshua 13:18). An important philosopher, Philodemus of Gadara was born here in about 110 BCE. He studied under the Epicurean Phoenician philosopher, Zeno of Sidon in Athens, before settling in Rome about 80 BCE, where he befriended Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, and was implicated in Piso's profligacy by Cicero. The work of Philodemus is the basis of the collection in the Villa of the Papyrii discovered in Herculaneum, Italy.
14. Wadi Al-Rayan: (Cherith Spring, across from Mehola, see 1 Kings 17:2-7).
Ammonite Region
Main Site of Ammon Region
(Rabbath Ammon, Amman)
Rabbath-Ammon (Amman), David, Bathsheba, Uriah and Joab in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:31. Other texts: Gen. 19:38; Num. 21:24; Dt. 2:19,37, 3:11; 23:4; Josh. 12:2, 13:10, 25, 15:60; Jud. 3:13, 10:6ff, 11:4ff; 1 Sam. 12:12, 14:47; 2 Sam. 8:12; 10:1ff; 11:1; 12:26-31 (above); 1 Kings 11:7,33; 2 Kings 23:13; 24:2; 1 Chron. 19:1ff; 20:1; 2 Chron. 20:1,10,22-23;26:8; Isaiah 11:14; Jeremiah 9:26; 25:21; 49:2,3,6; Ezekiel 21:10; 25:5; Amos 1:14; Dan. 11:41; Zeph. 2:8-9. Other near eastern texts and inscriptions: Annals of Tiglath-Pileser III (ANET, p. 283). See also the Amarna Letters: EA 256 mentions Rabbath Ammon; Assyrian Inscriptions: Sennacherib’s Prism. In the Bible, see “Rabbath-Ammon” (Amman), later called Philadelphia by the Romans.
Jordan River Region
The Jordan River and valley are referenced over 180 times in the Bible. In Jordan, we look more carefully at the historica baptism site of Jesus and a locale for where Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan to Jericho: See: Mark 1:5; Joshua 3; 2 Kings 2:3-14. Other important biblical sites include: Joshua 3 (Jordan parted), 2 Kings 2:3-14 (Elijah taken to Heaven), 2 Kings 5:8-14 (God healed Naaman through Elisha), and 2 Samuel 16-19 (The insurrection of Absalom). For the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels, see Matthew 19:1; Mark 10:1; John 10:40-42.
Moabite Region
Region: The general territory of Moab was the lower half of the eastern coast of the Dead Sea, with periodic extension to the north into the plain of the Jordan River across from Jericho (though that was most often held by Ammonites). Moab, at the period of its greatest extent, before the invasion of the Amorites, divided itself naturally into three distinct and independent portions: 1) Open rolling countryside north of the Arnon, opposite Jericho and up to the hills of Gilead, called the "land of Moab" (Deuteronomy 1:5; 32:49). 2) South of the Arnon, referred to in the Bible as "field of Moab" (Ruth 1:1,2,6). 3) Below sea level in the Jordan valley (Numbers 22:1).
Evidence for this can be seen in references of the Torah by Moses and then by Joshua, as both referred to the Jordan valley north of the Dead Sea as the “Plains of Moab,” presumably because it was a part of Moab. For instance, the Balaam story of Numbers 22-24 demonstrated Moab’s control of that area at the time.
In Numbers 32 and later in Joshua 13, the tribes of Reuben and Gad were settled in the area north of the Arnon, but by Judges 3, Moab seemed at least partially in control of areas as far north as the southern Jordan valley, and may have even controlled Jericho on occasion after its initial conquest. The texts evidence the area north of the Arnon abounding with conflicts, reflecting competing territorial claims. Oddly, the Bible never explicitly states that Moab controlled exclusively the area south of the Arnon to the Zered River, but this is so commonly supposed, Bible maps refer to it as “Moab proper.”
The Moabite (Mesha) inscription (c. 850 BCE) celebrated King Mesha’s conquest, expansion, or fortification of 17 cities, all identified as north of the Arnon, including Mesha’s capital city, Dibon. The inscription gives no evidence of Moabite control south of the Arnon. Later, in an oracle against the people of Moab found in Isaiah 15-16, there is a list with more than fifteen (15) Moabite cities, and all seem north of the Arnon, with one possible exception: Kir Hareseth, a city long associated with Kerak, the site of a Crusader castle south of the Arnon, though identifying Kir Hareseth with Kerak is increasingly questioned among scholars. As a result, the key historical evidence from within and outside the Bible indicates Moab’s heartland was likely north, not south, of the Arnon, but Bible atlases do not routinely reflect this.
For tribes, land borders were not fixed as in modernity. Several lists demonstrate flexes in borders and inclusions of different cities or encampments included in the tribal protections: Isaiah 15–16; Jeremiah 48; Ezekiel 25:9. The north of Moab features the Arnon River (Mujib) half-way down the east side of the Jordan, also called the Dibon River (a reference to the Mujib north of Aroer near the city of Dibon). The south of the region never normally extended far south of the Zered River (Wadi al-Hasa, see Deuteronomy 2:13-14).
Biblical Citations: Genesis 19:37; Isaiah 15; Jeremiah 48; Ancient Near Eastern Texts: Mesha Stele: Mentions Moab extensively, Assyrian Records: Shalmaneser III’s inscriptions. Moab was the well-known homeland of Ruth, the great grandmother of David. Deuteronomy 1:5, 29:1; Judges 11:18; Ruth 1; Numbers 22:1, 26:3, 31:12.
1. Abel-Shittim: (Tall el-Hammam, Abila of Perea later) an important camp of Israel from Numbers 22:1, the site of seduction of Israel by Moabitesses (and the Numbers 25 Phinehas spearing incident.
2. Aroer: (Possibly Al Lahun (not certain), southeast of Dhiban on northern edge of Arnon or Mujib River) Deuteronomy 2:36, Joshua 12:2 (city on the northern rim of the Arnon Gorge); Other near eastern texts and inscriptions: Mesha Stele (CIS II 1893; ANET, p. 320-321).
3. Arnon River: (Wadi Mujib) the river or torrent which formed a skirmish line between Moab and the Amorites, on the north of Moab, as mentioned in Numbers 21:13-26; Deuteronomy 3:8; Judges 11:18ff) and afterwards between Moab and Israel (Reuben). The wadi is marked by many ruins of bridges, forts, and buildings. Isaiah mentioned fords of the river in Isaiah 16:2, and Moses in Numbers 21:28 celebrated its "heights" and the castles built by local chieftains.
4. Atarot: (Khirbat Ataruz, northwest of Dhiban, north of Wadi Heidan.) Settled by Gad in Numbers, 32:3 and 34, Later it lay within the tribal allotment of Reuben, but was built up by the Gadites during the period of Israelite conquest. Seems to be site mentioned in the Mesha Stele or Moabite Stone. Includes C9 BCE Moabite temple complex.
5. Baal Peor: (near to Tal el-Hammam on Al Quds Rd ascending to Mt. Nebo Deuteronomy 3:29, 4:46 (site opposite Jericho, near Jordan River).
6. Bezer: (Near the Amman Airport at Umm Al Amad, site not yet identified. Deuteronomy 4:43, Joshua 20:8 (a city of refuge in Reubenite territory).
7. Callirrhoe: (Ein ez-Zara or Uyun es-Sara) visited by King Herod shortly before his death in 4 BCE, Josephus Wars, 1.657; Antiquities 17.171; Pliny History 5.15.72.
8. Dibon: (Dhiban, second capital of Moab, Mesha Stele): Book of Ruth in plains around city. Other texts: Num. 21:26-31; 32:3,34; Josh. 13:8-9, 17; 2 Kings 3:4ff; Neh. 11:25; Isa. 15:2; Jer. 48:18,22. Also Mesha Stele (CIS II 1893; ANET, p. 320-321).
9. Heshbon: (Hisban, Tall Hesban) Moses’ army attacked Sihon, King of the Amorites near the end of the Exodus journey, see Numbers 21:21-35). See also: Numbers 32:3,33; Deuteronomy 2:24; Josh. 13:8-9, 17; 2 Kings 3:4ff; Neh. 11:25; Isa. 15:2ff; Jer. 48:2-45. Mesha Stele (CIS II 1893; ANET, p. 320-321).
10. Jahaz: (Khirbet Al-Dharieh) The King's highway was a very ancient trade route used by the Israelites after they crossed into Edomite territory to access Moab. See: Numbers 20:17; 21:22.
11. Kir-Hareseth: (Karak, first capital of Moab) very likely the Mizpeh where Jephthah’s terrible promise took his only daughter’s life in Judges 11:29-40). Other texts: 2 Kings 3:25; Isaiah 15:1; 16:7,11; Jeremiah 48:31,36; Amos 1:5; 9:7. A key part of the Mesha stele (850 BCE).
12. Machaerus: Site of the beheading of John the Baptist, Josephus relates event of Mt. 14:1-12; Mk. 6:14ff; Lk. 9:7-9 in his account (Ant. 18:112,119).
13. Madaba: Num. 21:30; Joshua 13:9, 16; 1 Chron. 19:7; Isaiah 15:2; 1 Macc. 9:35ff; Antiquities 13:254ff; 14:14-18; War 1.63.
14. Mephaat: (Umm al-Rasas in the mountains of Moab) has been associated by some scholars with the biblical settlement of Mephaat mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. Egyptians knew the area, as evident from Tiglath-Pileser III’s campaign texts that mention the campaigns via Edrei (Edre'I in Syria) during Ramesses II's reign, but link it to this site as well. Biblical citations can be noted in Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 12:4; Numbers 21:33. The Roman army garrisoned the site, but it was later inhabited by Christian and Islamic communities. A Stylite tower can be seen from an ancient monk’s occupation.
15. Mount Nebo: (Jabal Nibu) Final sermon (Deuteronomy 31-34; and burial of Moses (Dt. 34:1-5; Jude 1:9). Other texts: Isa. 15:2; Jer. 48:1,22. Eusebius, Onomasticon (p. 136).
16. Sodom and Gomorrah: (Associated with Bab edh-Dhra, destruction: Genesis 19:1–28 and Deuteronomy 29:21–23, prophetic words: Isaiah 1:9–10, 3:9 and 13:19–22; Jeremiah 23:14, 49:17–18, 50:39–40; Lamentations 4:6, Amos 4:1–11, Zephaniah 2:9.)
17. The King's Highway: a very ancient trade route used by the Israelites after they crossed into Edomite territory to access Moab. See: Numbers 20:17; 21:22.
18. Waters of Nimrim: (Wadi Numeira and nearby Luhith) The King's highway was a very ancient trade route used by the Israelites after they crossed into Edomite territory to access Moab. See: Numbers 20:17; 21:22.
Edomite Region
Region: Edom was home to the descendants of Esau, patriarch of the Edomites later referred to in the New Testament by a Greek form of their name “Idumeans.”
Bozrah: (Busayra, A capital of Edom in Isaiah 34:6, 63:1; Jeremiah 49:13; Amos 1:12; Micah 2:12. Other near eastern texts and inscriptions: Annals of Tiglath-Pileser III (ANET, p. 282) and Babylonian Chronicles: Nebuchadnezzar's campaigns.
Elath (Aqaba): Deuteronomy 2:8; 1 Kings 9:26; 2 Kings 14:22, see also Assyrian Inscriptions: Tiglath-Pileser III’s inscriptions.
Mt. Hor: (Jebel Harun) death of Aaron Number 20:23-29, 33:38-39.
Petra: Judges 1:36; 2 Kings 14:7; Isaiah 16:1; Jer. 49:16. Matthew 2:11 (It is quite possible that the Magi purchased their frankincense and myrrh in Petra on their way to Bethlehem. Petra was renowned in the frankincense and myrrh trade and these valuable gifts are found in the Arabian gulf, not Persia, where the Magi traveled from. Petra is on the route to Bethlehem from Persia.) In 2 Corinthians 11:32 (The reference is to King Aretas IV of Petra.) Galatians 1:17 (When Paul speaks of going into “Arabia” he is most likely referring to the Nabataean Kingdom.), see also 1 Maccabees 5:25. for a reference concerning Judas attacking the Idumaeans and coming into contact with them, as part of a narrative on God using the military genius of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers to liberate Judea.
Some scholars identify Nebaioth with the Nabataeans, those who built up this extensive site. If so then Isaiah 60:7 has such a reference to “Nebaioth,” (the firstborn of Ishmael) and Genesis 25:13 marked out the descendants of Ishmael are listed, with Nebaioth being the first son. That genealogy is reaffirmed in 1 Chronicles 1:29. Obadiah 1:19-20 offered a prophecy concerning the lands of Edom and the regions occupied by the Nabataeans, though it did not mention them by name directly.
Sela: Judges 1:36 (“the Rock” on south border of Amorites). The only way to enter the mountain fortress of Sela, Jordan, is to climb the staircase cut into a natural cleft in the rock on its eastern side. The city Young King Amaziah of Judah was described as throwing 10,000 Edomites to their death from the heights of Sela (2 Chronicles 25:12; 2 Kings 14:7) and he renamed it Joktheel (Hebrew: יָקְתְאֵל, Yoqtĕ-’Ēl, "the blessedness of God" or more likely "subdued by God"). Also mentioned in Isaiah 15:1 and Obadiah 1:3. Archaeologists found an impressive cuneiform inscription on the rock face at es-Sila' the so-called "Nabonidus Inscription", named after the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (ruled c. 556–539 BCE).
Tophel (from “tasteless” or “foolish” in Hebrew; now modern Tafilah lies on the ruins of the Edomite city). It is mentioned only in the opening of Deuteronomy 1:1. There are more than 360 natural springs in the at-Tafilah area, including the natural reservoir of Dana and hot natural springs at Afra and Burbeita.
Wadi Rum: This austere region was a pass through for a number of ancient peoples, including those following Moses. Biblical References of the region should be considered because of the nature of the area. For instance, the Land of Edom and all things related to Esau seem likely here, as in Genesis 36:8-9: In addition, the journey narrative of Numbers 20:14-21 where the chieftains of Edom said to Moses, ‘You shall not pass through.’"Among classical texts, Strabo's Geographica and Ptolemy's Geography mention the place. From ancient near eastern texts and inscriptions, we find Egyptian Records of Ramesses II's Campaigns, as well as the Anastasi Papyrus which described traversing Wadi Rum, emphasizing the challenging desert terrain. Nabataean Inscriptions include dedications, commemorations, and references to trade and travel through the valley.
Zered River (Wadi al Hasa): Deuteronomy 2:13-14 (crossed by Israelites during their wanderings).
Zoar: Technically outside both Edom and Moab, (Wadi Al-Hasa near Al Safi at southeast end of Dead Sea). In Genesis 19:22-23, Lot fled to Zoar. Later, when Joram invaded Edom, he passed over to Zair and all his chariots with him (2 Kings 8:21), while in the parallel passage (2 Chronicles 21:9), "with his captains" (`im sarayw) takes the place of "to Zair" (tsa`irah), but several scholars believe this may be a copyist's corruption of Zoar near the Dead Sea.
