Brook of Egypt
Encyclopedia
The Brook of Egypt is the name used in some English translations of the Bible
for the Hebrew
Nachal Mitzrayim ("River of Egypt") used for the river defining the westernmost border of the Land of Israel
. Popular Bible commentaries identify it with Wadi El-Arish although the identification is problematic. Early Aramaic translations and Jewish commentaries identify it with the Pelusian
arm of the Nile
—a no longer extant branch of the Nile lying on the border of Ancient Egypt
. A related phrase is Nahal Mitzrayim, used in Genesis 15:18. This also means "river of Egypt", and according to some interpretations this term refers to the Nile
, or its eastern branch (2 Chr. 9:26).
. This view is made explicit in the Jerusalem Targum
, the Targum Jonathan
, the Targum Neofiti and the Fragment Targums (where in all cases the term is translated Nilus) as well as in the commentaries of Rashi
and Rabbi Yehuda Halevi
. Rashi explicitly states in his commentary on Joshua
13:3
Nevertheless the term Nachal Mitzrayim is only used when discussing the border of the Land of Israel
whereas Ye'or is typically used for the main body of the Nile. This suggests that there is indeed some difference in meaning. Since the Land of Israel
did not extend into the Nile Delta
the most probable interpretation of the term is that it refers specifically to the Delta or the Pelusian
arm of the Nile. Rabbi Yehuda Halevi
explicitly identified it with the Pelusian arm.
The name Nile is thought to be ultimately derived from the Semitic
Nahal meaning "river" from which the Hebrew nachal is derived.
According to Exodus 13:18-20 the locality from which the Israelites journeyed after departing Egypt was Sukkot
. The name Sukkot means "palm huts" in Hebrew
and was translated El-Arish in Arabic
. It lies in the vicinity of Fayyum, the hometown of the Jewish commentator Saadia Gaon
who identified Nachal Mitzrayim with the wadi
of El-Arish. Later Jewish commentators from Egypt, Radbaz and Kaftor Vaferech followed suit. This description did not refer to the modern locality known as El-Arish as is seen from the fact that Kaftor Vaferach places it approximately 180 km from Gaza
. This is in the vicinity of the former Pelusian arm of the Nile and is thus still consistent with the traditional interpretation. The modern El-Arish in contrast lies only 77 km from Gaza.
The Septuagint translates Nachal Mitzrayim in Isaiah
27:12 as Rhinocorura
. This name and its variant Rhinocolura were used for the region in Sinai
containing Pelusium and this translation is thus also consistent with the traditional interpretation. However the name was also used for a coastal town in the region lying on the road to Egypt further east. The disappearance of the Pelusian arm of the Nile led to the interpretation of the Rhinocorura of the Septuagint as the wadi providing water to this town. Pilgrims subsequently misidentified the Arab settlement at the mouth of this wadi (either identical to or near the town) with the Biblical Sukkot and the names El-Arish and Wadi El-Arish were applied to the settlement and wadi respectively.
The translation of the term nachal as "brook" in English, a word implying a small stream, also influenced the interpretation amongst later commentators. This translation is generally regarded as erroneous however, for although in later Hebrew the term nachal tended to be used for small rivers, in Biblical Hebrew, the word could be used for any flowing stream. Its usage, even in modern Hebrew, does not match that of the Arabic
wadi
.
The identification with the Wadi El-Arish is still widely accepted in popular literature but has been generally rejected by archaeologists.
and Josephus
apparently refers to El-Arish, archaeologists have found no evidence of occupation at the site prior to the Hellenistic period suggesting that this was not identical to the locality Rhinocorura
mentioned by Strabo
and Diodorus Siculus
which had been settled by Ethiopians. Thus the Rhinocorura mentioned in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah
27:12 cannot be assumed to be the Wadi El-Arish. The name was also used for an entire district in the vicinity of Pelusium
.
The account of the Exodus
of the Israelites from Egypt is also consistent with the identification of Nachal Mitzarayim with the Pelusian arm and not the Wadi El-Arish. The crossing of the Red Sea
is the departure from Egypt according to Exodus 13:18 and is understood to have taken place at the section of the Red Sea
which lay south of the Pelusian arm (known today as the Gulf of Suez
). The Red Sea, like the Nachal Mitzrayim is described as part of the border of the Land of Israel (Exodus 23:31). Following the crossing, the Israelites were in the wilderness of Shur
(Exodus 15:22) which is identified as lying west of the Wadi El-Arish.
Assyria
n texts describing Sennacherib
's invasion of the region of Pelusium mention Nahal Musri (a cognate of Nachal Mitzrayim). Egyptian inscriptions from the 19th Dynasty show that the Pelusian arm of the Nile was considered to be the eastern border of Egypt.
In addition, Genesis 15:18 refers to the western border of the Land of Israel
as Nahar Mitzrayim i.e. "[Great] River of Egypt". Unlike nachal which can denote both rivers and wadis, nahar is only used for large rivers whence Nahar Mitzrayim conclusively refers to the Nile.
34:5; Joshua
15:47 and 2 Kings
24:7 are translated Cheimarros Aigyptou ("Torrent of Egypt") in the Septuagint. This translation sheds no light on the identity of Nachal Mitzrayim being applicable to both the seasonally flooding Nile and seasonal wadis. The translation Pharangos Aigyptou ("Channel of Egypt") in Joshua
15:4 is similarly inconclusive. However, Nachal Mitzrayim in 1 Kings
8:65, together with Nahar Mitzrayim in Genesis 15:18 and Ye'or Mitzrayim in Amos
8:8, 9:5 are all translated Potomos Aigyptou ("River of Egypt") indicating that they were all understood to be the same. As mentioned Ye'or undisputedly refers to the Nile and in addition, potomos is only used for larger rivers not wadis, whence Potomos Aigyptou conclusively refers to the Nile. The proper noun Rhinokoroura (Rhinocorura) in the translation of Isaiah
27:12 can thus be understood as the designation of the Pelusian arm of the Nile.
(Ye'or in Genesis 41:1-18; Exodus 1:22, 2:3-5, 4:9, 7:15-25, 8:3-11, 17:5; Ezekiel
29:3-9; Daniel
12:5-7; Isaiah
19:7-8; Jeremiah
46:7-8 and Zechariah
10:11 are all translated potomos ("river"). Isaiah
23:3-10 is not translated verbatim in the Septuagint which contains no direct translation of the occurrence of Ye'or in these verses. Similarly it contains no direct translation of the occurrences of Nachal in Ezekiel
47:19.)
In Joshua
13:3, Shichor is translated asikēton ("muddy [river]") corresponding to the Hebrew meaning of "dark (i.e. muddy) [river]". Similarly in Jeremiah
2:18 it is translated geon ("earthy [river]"). These words are synonyms of the name Pelousion (Pelusium) derived from pelos meaning "mud" or "silt". In other occurrences Shichor is not translated verbatim. The translation of I Chronicles 13:5 speaks instead of orion Aigyptou ("border of Egypt") which nevertheless confirms that the Shichor was understood to be identical to Nachal Mitzrayim and Nahar Miztrayim which are explicitly mentioned as the border with Egypt. Similarly in Isaiah
23:3 it is represented by metabolē ("[border] crossing").
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
for the 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...
Nachal Mitzrayim ("River of Egypt") used for the river defining the westernmost border of the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
. Popular Bible commentaries identify it with Wadi El-Arish although the identification is problematic. Early Aramaic translations and Jewish commentaries identify it with the Pelusian
Pelusium
Pelusium was a city in the eastern extremes of Egypt's Nile Delta, 30 km to the southeast of the modern Port Said. Alternative names include Sena and Per-Amun , Pelousion , Sin , Seyân , and Tell el-Farama...
arm of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
—a no longer extant branch of the Nile lying on the border of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. A related phrase is Nahal Mitzrayim, used in Genesis 15:18. This also means "river of Egypt", and according to some interpretations this term refers to the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
, or its eastern branch (2 Chr. 9:26).
Traditional interpretation as the Nile
The traditional Jewish understanding of the term Nachal Mitzrayim is that it refers to the NileNile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
. This view is made explicit in the Jerusalem Targum
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan is a western targum of the Torah from the land of Israel . Its correct title is Targum Yerushalmi , which is how it was known in medieval times...
, the Targum Jonathan
Targum Jonathan
Targum Jonathan - otherwise referred to as Targum Yonasan/Yonatan is the official eastern targum to the Nevi'im. Its early origins, however, are western i.e. from the Land of Israel, and the Talmudic tradition attributes its authorship to Jonathan ben Uzziel...
, the Targum Neofiti and the Fragment Targums (where in all cases the term is translated Nilus) as well as in the commentaries of Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
and Rabbi Yehuda Halevi
Yehuda Halevi
Judah Halevi was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, either in Toledo or Tudela, in 1075 or 1086, and died shortly after arriving in Palestine in 1141...
. Rashi explicitly states in his commentary on Joshua
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
13:3
"From the Shihor: that is the Nile the same as Nachal Mizraim."
Nevertheless the term Nachal Mitzrayim is only used when discussing the border of the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
whereas Ye'or is typically used for the main body of the Nile. This suggests that there is indeed some difference in meaning. Since the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
did not extend into the Nile Delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
the most probable interpretation of the term is that it refers specifically to the Delta or the Pelusian
Pelusium
Pelusium was a city in the eastern extremes of Egypt's Nile Delta, 30 km to the southeast of the modern Port Said. Alternative names include Sena and Per-Amun , Pelousion , Sin , Seyân , and Tell el-Farama...
arm of the Nile. Rabbi Yehuda Halevi
Yehuda Halevi
Judah Halevi was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, either in Toledo or Tudela, in 1075 or 1086, and died shortly after arriving in Palestine in 1141...
explicitly identified it with the Pelusian arm.
The name Nile is thought to be ultimately derived from the Semitic
Semitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
Nahal meaning "river" from which the Hebrew nachal is derived.
Later interpretation as Wadi El-Arish
The disappearance of the Pelusian arm of the Nile led to much confusion regarding the Biblical geography of Sinai.According to Exodus 13:18-20 the locality from which the Israelites journeyed after departing Egypt was Sukkot
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
. The name Sukkot means "palm huts" 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...
and was translated El-Arish in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. It lies in the vicinity of Fayyum, the hometown of the Jewish commentator Saadia Gaon
Saadia Gaon
Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, Jewish philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.The first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Arabic, he is considered the founder of Judeo-Arabic literature...
who identified Nachal Mitzrayim with the wadi
Wadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
of El-Arish. Later Jewish commentators from Egypt, Radbaz and Kaftor Vaferech followed suit. This description did not refer to the modern locality known as El-Arish as is seen from the fact that Kaftor Vaferach places it approximately 180 km from Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. This is in the vicinity of the former Pelusian arm of the Nile and is thus still consistent with the traditional interpretation. The modern El-Arish in contrast lies only 77 km from Gaza.
The Septuagint translates Nachal Mitzrayim in Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
27:12 as Rhinocorura
Rhinocorura
Rhinocorura or Rhinocolura was the name of a region and associated town and rivers lying between Ancient Egypt and the Land of Israel. The name may refer explicitly to:...
. This name and its variant Rhinocolura were used for the region in Sinai
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
containing Pelusium and this translation is thus also consistent with the traditional interpretation. However the name was also used for a coastal town in the region lying on the road to Egypt further east. The disappearance of the Pelusian arm of the Nile led to the interpretation of the Rhinocorura of the Septuagint as the wadi providing water to this town. Pilgrims subsequently misidentified the Arab settlement at the mouth of this wadi (either identical to or near the town) with the Biblical Sukkot and the names El-Arish and Wadi El-Arish were applied to the settlement and wadi respectively.
The translation of the term nachal as "brook" in English, a word implying a small stream, also influenced the interpretation amongst later commentators. This translation is generally regarded as erroneous however, for although in later Hebrew the term nachal tended to be used for small rivers, in Biblical Hebrew, the word could be used for any flowing stream. Its usage, even in modern Hebrew, does not match that of the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
wadi
Wadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
.
The identification with the Wadi El-Arish is still widely accepted in popular literature but has been generally rejected by archaeologists.
Identification based on archaeological and geographical evidence
While Rhinocolura (a variant of Rhinocorura) in the writings of PlinyPliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
and Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
apparently refers to El-Arish, archaeologists have found no evidence of occupation at the site prior to the Hellenistic period suggesting that this was not identical to the locality Rhinocorura
Rhinocorura
Rhinocorura or Rhinocolura was the name of a region and associated town and rivers lying between Ancient Egypt and the Land of Israel. The name may refer explicitly to:...
mentioned by Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
and Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
which had been settled by Ethiopians. Thus the Rhinocorura mentioned in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
27:12 cannot be assumed to be the Wadi El-Arish. The name was also used for an entire district in the vicinity of Pelusium
Pelusium
Pelusium was a city in the eastern extremes of Egypt's Nile Delta, 30 km to the southeast of the modern Port Said. Alternative names include Sena and Per-Amun , Pelousion , Sin , Seyân , and Tell el-Farama...
.
The account of the Exodus
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
of the Israelites from Egypt is also consistent with the identification of Nachal Mitzarayim with the Pelusian arm and not the Wadi El-Arish. The crossing of the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
is the departure from Egypt according to Exodus 13:18 and is understood to have taken place at the section of the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
which lay south of the Pelusian arm (known today as the Gulf of Suez
Gulf of Suez
The northern end of the Red Sea is bifurcated by the Sinai Peninsula, creating the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba to the east. The Gulf of Suez is formed within a relatively young, but now inactive rift basin, the Gulf of Suez Rift, dating back about 28 million years...
). The Red Sea, like the Nachal Mitzrayim is described as part of the border of the Land of Israel (Exodus 23:31). Following the crossing, the Israelites were in the wilderness of Shur
Shur (Bible)
Shur is a location mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible. When Hagar flees from Abraham, the Angel of the Lord find her by a "spring on the way to Shur." .According to Exodus 15:22, Marah is located in the "wilderness of Shur."...
(Exodus 15:22) which is identified as lying west of the Wadi El-Arish.
Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n texts describing Sennacherib
Sennacherib
Sennacherib |Sîn]] has replaced brothers for me"; Aramaic: ) was the son of Sargon II, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria .-Rise to power:...
's invasion of the region of Pelusium mention Nahal Musri (a cognate of Nachal Mitzrayim). Egyptian inscriptions from the 19th Dynasty show that the Pelusian arm of the Nile was considered to be the eastern border of Egypt.
Hebrew text
An examination of the Hebrew text confirms the traditional view as can be seen from the following points:- JoshuaBook of JoshuaThe Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
13:3 and I Chronicles 13:5 use the terms Shichor and Shichor Mitzrayim as synonyms for Nachal Mitzrayim denoting the western border. - IsaiahBook of IsaiahThe Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
23:3 equates the Shichor (Shihor) with the Ye'or. It also describes it as "great waters" and speaks of its "seed" and "harvest". Moreover, shichor is a direct Hebrew translation of the EgyptianEgyptian languageEgyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...
: ye'or meaning "dark [river]". - Ye'or is undisputedly a reference to the Nile.
In addition, Genesis 15:18 refers to the western border of the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
as Nahar Mitzrayim i.e. "[Great] River of Egypt". Unlike nachal which can denote both rivers and wadis, nahar is only used for large rivers whence Nahar Mitzrayim conclusively refers to the Nile.
Septuagint
Nachal Mitzrayim in NumbersBook of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
34:5; Joshua
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
15:47 and 2 Kings
Books of Kings
The Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
24:7 are translated Cheimarros Aigyptou ("Torrent of Egypt") in the Septuagint. This translation sheds no light on the identity of Nachal Mitzrayim being applicable to both the seasonally flooding Nile and seasonal wadis. The translation Pharangos Aigyptou ("Channel of Egypt") in Joshua
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
15:4 is similarly inconclusive. However, Nachal Mitzrayim in 1 Kings
Books of Kings
The Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
8:65, together with Nahar Mitzrayim in Genesis 15:18 and Ye'or Mitzrayim in Amos
Book of Amos
The Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, was active c. 750 BCE during the reign of Jeroboam II, making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah...
8:8, 9:5 are all translated Potomos Aigyptou ("River of Egypt") indicating that they were all understood to be the same. As mentioned Ye'or undisputedly refers to the Nile and in addition, potomos is only used for larger rivers not wadis, whence Potomos Aigyptou conclusively refers to the Nile. The proper noun Rhinokoroura (Rhinocorura) in the translation of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
27:12 can thus be understood as the designation of the Pelusian arm of the Nile.
(Ye'or in Genesis 41:1-18; Exodus 1:22, 2:3-5, 4:9, 7:15-25, 8:3-11, 17:5; Ezekiel
Book of Ezekiel
The Book of Ezekiel is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and preceding the Book of the Twelve....
29:3-9; Daniel
Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
12:5-7; Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
19:7-8; Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
46:7-8 and Zechariah
Book of Zechariah
The Book of Zechariah is the penultimate book of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew and Christian Bible, attributed to the prophet Zechariah.-Historical context:...
10:11 are all translated potomos ("river"). Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
23:3-10 is not translated verbatim in the Septuagint which contains no direct translation of the occurrence of Ye'or in these verses. Similarly it contains no direct translation of the occurrences of Nachal in Ezekiel
Book of Ezekiel
The Book of Ezekiel is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and preceding the Book of the Twelve....
47:19.)
In Joshua
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
13:3, Shichor is translated asikēton ("muddy [river]") corresponding to the Hebrew meaning of "dark (i.e. muddy) [river]". Similarly in Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
2:18 it is translated geon ("earthy [river]"). These words are synonyms of the name Pelousion (Pelusium) derived from pelos meaning "mud" or "silt". In other occurrences Shichor is not translated verbatim. The translation of I Chronicles 13:5 speaks instead of orion Aigyptou ("border of Egypt") which nevertheless confirms that the Shichor was understood to be identical to Nachal Mitzrayim and Nahar Miztrayim which are explicitly mentioned as the border with Egypt. Similarly in Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
23:3 it is represented by metabolē ("[border] crossing").