Beracah
Encyclopedia
Beracah is a valley
in the Hebrew Bible
(Old Testament
). It was named the "Valley of Blessings ("blessing
" is "Berakhah
" in Hebrew
) by Jehoshaphat
after his victory over Moab
and Ammon
, as is recounted in the Book of Chronicles.
The valley is on the main road from Hebron
to Jerusalem.
According to Chronicles, Jehoshaphat gathered his people together and prayed to God for deliverance. God answered his prayer by stirring up the enemy to kill each other. When Jehoshaphat and his army entered the valley the enemy had completely destroyed themselves. The army took three days to collect the valuables of the enemy including gold, silver, and precious jewels. Hence the valley was called "The Valley of Blessing".
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
(Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
). It was named the "Valley of Blessings ("blessing
Blessing
A blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
" is "Berakhah
Berakhah
In Judaism, a berakhah, bracha, brokhe is a blessing, usually recited at a specific moment during a ceremony or other activity. The function of a berakhah is to acknowledge God as the source of all blessing...
" in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
) by Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of the The Kingdom of Judah, and successor of his father Asa. His children included Jehoram, who succeeded him as king...
after his victory over Moab
Moab
Moab is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan. The land lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over...
and Ammon
Ammon
Ammon , also referred to as the Ammonites and children of Ammon, was an ancient nation located east of the Jordan River, Gilead, and the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan. The chief city of the country was Rabbah or Rabbath Ammon, site of the modern city of Amman, Jordan's capital...
, as is recounted in the Book of Chronicles.
The valley is on the main road from Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
to Jerusalem.
According to Chronicles, Jehoshaphat gathered his people together and prayed to God for deliverance. God answered his prayer by stirring up the enemy to kill each other. When Jehoshaphat and his army entered the valley the enemy had completely destroyed themselves. The army took three days to collect the valuables of the enemy including gold, silver, and precious jewels. Hence the valley was called "The Valley of Blessing".