Kadesh: The sacred city of the Hittites, on the left bank of the Orontes,
about 4 miles south of the Lake of Homs. It is identified with
the great mound Tell Neby Mendeh, some 50 to 100 feet high, and
400 yards long. On the ruins of the temple of Karnak, in Egypt, has
been found an inscription recording the capture of this city by
Rameses II.(See PHARAOH)
Here the sculptor "has chiselled in deep work on the stone, with a
bold execution of the several parts, the procession of the warriors,
the battle before Kadesh, the storming of the fortress, the overthrow
of the enemy, and the camp life of the Egyptians."
(See HITTITES)
Kadesh: Holy, or Kadesh-Barnea, sacred desert of wandering, a place on the
south-eastern border of Palestine, about 165 miles from Horeb. It
lay in the "wilderness" or "desert of Zin"
(Genesis 14:7; Numbers 13:3-26)
(Numbers 14:29-33; 20:1; 27:14) on the border of Edom
(Numbers 20:16) From this
place, in compliance with the desire of the people, Moses sent forth
"twelve spies" to spy the land. After examining it in all its
districts, the spies brought back an evil report, Joshua and Caleb
alone giving a good report of the land
(Numbers 13:18-31) Influenced by
the discouraging report, the people abandoned all hope of entering
into the Promised Land. They remained a considerable time at Kadesh.
(See HORMAH)
(See KORAH)
Because of their unbelief, they were condemned by God to wander for
thirty-eight years in the wilderness. They took their journey from
Kadesh into the deserts of Paran, "by way of the Red Sea"
(Deuteronomy 2:1) (One theory is that during these thirty-eight years they
remained in and about Kadesh.) At the end of these years of
wanderings, the tribes were a second time gathered together at Kadesh.
During their stay here at this time Miriam died and was buried. Here
the people murmured for want of water, as their forefathers had done
formerly at Rephidim; and Moses, irritated by their chidings, "with
his rod smote the rock twice," instead of "speaking to the rock before
their eyes," as the Lord had commanded him (comp.)
(Numbers 27:14; Deuteronomy 9:23)
(Psalms 106:32,33) Because of this act of his, in which Aaron too was
involved, neither of them was to be permitted to set foot within the
Promised Land
(Numbers 20:12,24) The king of Edom would not permit them
to pass on through his territory, and therefore they commenced an
eastward march, and "came unto Mount Hor"
(Numbers 20:22) This place has
been identified with 'Ain el-Kadeis, about 12 miles
east-south-east of Beersheba.
(See SPIES)
