Mount Hermon is a large mountain that marks the northern edge of the land that Joshua and Moses conquered east of the Jordan River. This mountain served as the northern border of the land given to half of the tribe of Manasseh, as well as the northern border of all Israel (Deuteronomy 3:8; 4:48; Joshua 11:17; 12:1, 5; 13:11; 1 Chronicles 5:23). It stands high above the Lebanon Valley and the land of Mizpah (Joshua 11:3, 8). Joshua chased the kings of Canaan to this area after defeating them at the waters of Merom (Joshua 11:17; 13:5).
The Bible's poetry praises Mount Hermon for two things: its great height and the dew it causes to fall on Mount Zion (Psalm 133:3). The mountain was also known for its wild animals (Song of Solomon 4:8). Other Bible passages mention it together with the Jordan River and Mount Tabor (Psalm 42:6; Psalm 89:12). The mountain itself is about 21 kilometers (13 miles) long and rises to a height of 2.8 kilometers (9,166 feet).