Ezion-geber: The giant's backbone (so called from the head of a mountain which runs
out into the sea), an ancient city and harbour at the north-east end
of the Elanitic branch of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Akabah, near Elath
or Eloth
(Numbers 33:35; Deuteronomy 2:8) Here Solomon built ships, "Tarshish ships,"
like those trading from Tyre to Tarshish and the west, which traded
with Ophir
(1 Kings 9:26; 2 Chronicles 8:17) and here also Jehoshaphat's fleet was
shipwrecked
(1 Kings 22:48; 2 Chronicles 20:36) It became a populous town, many of
the Jews settling in it
(2 Kings 16:6) "Elath". It is supposed that
anciently the north end of the gulf flowed further into the country
than now, as far as 'Ain el-Ghudyan, which is 10 miles up the dry bed
of the Arabah, and that Ezion-geber may have been there.
