The Arabah is a large valley in the Middle East. It divides the land into eastern and western parts.
Where Is the Arabah Valley?
The valley starts at the Sea of Galilee in the north and runs south through the Jordan River valley. It continues past the Dead Sea and ends at the Gulf of Aqaba. People often call it the Rift Valley.
The valley is about 10 kilometers wide (about 6 miles). It stretches for about 322 kilometers (200 miles) from north to south. The Dead Sea lies within this valley. This sea is the lowest place on Earth that is not covered by ocean water. It sits 388 meters (1,275 feet) below sea level.
What Does "Arabah" Mean?
The word "arabah" comes from the Hebrew language. It means a dry, empty area where few plants can grow. The valley has different names in different places. Arabic-speaking people call the northern part of the valley "the Ghor," which means "depression" (a low place). This northern section runs from the Dead Sea up to the Sea of Galilee. The southern part of the valley, which extends below the Dead Sea, is called "the Arabah."
In the Old Testament, the Bible uses Arabah in different ways:
Arabah sometimes refers to the entire length of the valley.
In Deuteronomy 1:1; 2:8, Arabah refers to the southern part of the valley.
In Deuteronomy 3:17, 4:49, and Joshua 11:2, Arabah refers to the northeast section of the valley.
Arabah could also refer to the part of the valley east of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 4:49).
In Joshua 11:16, Arabah refers to the part west of the river.
In 2 Samuel 4:7, Arabah refers to the Jordan River valley.
The plural form of Arabah (Arboth) is used 17 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Its meaning “plains" refers to the section of the Arabah near Jericho or Moab. The Dead Sea is sometimes referred to as the Sea of the Arabah or Sea of the Plain (2 Kings 14:25). For the most part, the section of the Arabah north of the Dead Sea was fertile and productive. It is today as well.
What Important Events Happened in the Arabah?
It was from the Arabah that Joshua led the campaign to conquer Jericho. Abner fled to the northern Arabah after being defeated at Gibeon (2 Samuel 2:29). The murderers of Ishbosheth crossed the area to bring his head to David at Hebron (2 Samuel 4:7). Zedekiah fled to the area when he was captured by the Babylonians (2 Kings 25:4; Jeremiah 39:4).
The southern Arabah was the location of Israel’s wanderings before entering the promised land. Farther north, the Arabah was the site of the final acts of Moses (Numbers 32–36). Moses died and was buried in the Arabah (Deuteronomy 1:1). He was buried in the plains of Moab east of the Dead Sea (Deuteronomy 34:1–6).
What Is Special About the Land and Its Future?
South of the Dead Sea there were deposits of iron and copper. Deuteronomy 8:9 may allude to this general area when it speaks of “a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.” The land here is generally barren. In ancient times, careful use of irrigation made agriculture possible to a limited extent. Several important trade routes have passed through this area. The Arabah around the Dead Sea was once an especially fertile area “like the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10). This changed after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Bible contains promises about the future of this area. The prophet Ezekiel wrote about a special river that would one day flow from God's temple. According to his writing, this river will flow down into the Arabah valley. When this happens, it will make the salty sea water fresh and clean. This will create a good place for fish and other living things to thrive (Ezekiel 47:1–12; Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8). See Palestine.