Hormah
Encyclopedia
Hormah also known by its Canaan
ite name Zephath (Tsfat צפת) in an unidentified city in the Hebrew Bible
, mentioned as one of the cities captured by Joshua
. Its location is unknown; some place it between Beer Sheba and Gaza
, some between
Beer Sheba and Arad and some in the east side of the Arabah
in the ruins of Sarta
(under the town of Tafileh, Tufileh or Tafyleh, identified as biblical Tophel
).
The city is mentioned in Book of Numbers
21:2-3
It is also mentioned in Book of Judges
1:17:
It is also mentioned in Numbers 14:45.
The Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwelled on that mountain descended; they struck them and pounded them until Hormah.
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ite name Zephath (Tsfat צפת) in an unidentified city 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...
, mentioned as one of the cities captured by Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
. Its location is unknown; some place it between Beer Sheba and 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,...
, some between
Beer Sheba and Arad and some in the east side of the Arabah
Arabah
The Arabah , also known as Aravah, is a section of the Great Rift Valley running in a north-south orientation between the southern end of the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea and continuing further south where it ends at the Gulf of Aqaba. It includes most of the border between Israel to the...
in the ruins of Sarta
Sarta
Sarta is a Palestinian town located in the Salfit Governorate in the northern West Bank, 22 kilometers Southwest of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of approximately 2,610 in mid-year 2006....
(under the town of Tafileh, Tufileh or Tafyleh, identified as biblical Tophel
Tophel
Tophel or Tofel was an Edomite town mentioned in the Hebrew Bible: "These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan — that is, in the Arabah — opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab." . It is identified as Tafilah in Jordan north to...
).
The city is mentioned in Book of Numbers
Book 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....
21:2-3
- Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities." The LORD listened to Israel's plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.
It is also mentioned in Book of Judges
Book of Judges
The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its title describes its contents: it contains the history of Biblical judges, divinely inspired prophets whose direct knowledge of Yahweh allows them to act as decision-makers for the Israelites, as...
1:17:
- "Then the men of JudahTribe of JudahAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
went with the SimeonTribe of SimeonAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Simeon was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BC, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
ites their brothers and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah."
It is also mentioned in Numbers 14:45.
The Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwelled on that mountain descended; they struck them and pounded them until Hormah.