Editing Riblah

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The ancient town of '''Riblah''', today a [[Tell (archaeology)|tell]] covered by a cemetery not far from the town of [[Rablah|Ribleh]] on the [[Syria]]n side of the border with Lebanon, was in [[Hebrew Bible|biblical times]] located on the northern frontier of the land of [[Canaan]]. The site lies on the eastern bank of the [[Orontes river]], in a wide and fertile plain, 35 miles north-east of [[Baalbek]] and 10 or 12 miles south of the artificial [[Lake Homs]] created by the [[ancient Rome|Romans]].<ref name=NegevGibson>{{cite book |work=Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land |title=Riblah |author=Avraham Negev and Shimon Gibson |year=2001 |location=New York and London |publisher=Continuum |page=435 |isbn=0-8264-1316-1 }}</ref> [[Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton|Brenton]] translated the place as ''Rablaam'' in his [[Brenton's English Translation of the Septuagint|translation]] of the [[Septuagint]].<ref>[http://biblehub.com/sep/2_kings/23.htm Brenton's Translation of the Septuagint, 2 Kings 23:33]</ref>

It was at Riblah that [[Necho II]], [[pharaoh]] of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] (c. 610 – c. 595 BCE), established his camp after he had routed [[Josiah]]'s [[Kingdom of Judah|Judahite]] army at [[Battle of Megiddo (609 BC)|Megiddo]] in 609 BCE. Soon after this, the son of Josiah, the newly anointed King [[Jehoahaz of Judah|Jehoahaz]], was made prisoner and held at Riblah to prevent him from ruling Judah; he was later taken to Egypt where he died ({{bibleverse|2 Kings|23:29-34}}). A reference in {{bibleverse|Ezekiel|19:4}}:
:''The nations combined against him [Jehoahaz]; he was caught in their pit;''
:''They dragged him off with hooks to the land of Egypt''
is interpreted as stating that Necho had invited Jehoahaz to a conference in Riblah and trapped him there.<ref>Barnes, A., [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/2_kings/23.htm Barnes' Notes on the Bible] on 2 Kings 23, accessed 31 January 2018</ref>

Some two decades later, [[Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon|Nebuchadnezzar]] of [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Babylon]] also set up his headquarters here during his campaign against [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]], which culminated in the [[Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)|destruction]] of [[Jerusalem]] in 587 or 586 BCE. King [[Zedekiah]] was taken captive and brought to Riblah, described as a dependency of [[Hamath]], where he had to witness how his sons were killed, after which he was blinded and taken to Babylon. His officials were also put to death in Riblah ({{bibleverse|2 Kings 25:6–7, 18–21. Jeremiah 39:5–7; 52:9–11, 26–27|multi=yes}}).<ref name=NegevGibson />

The town was situated on the main international trade route from Egypt to [[Mesopotamia]], via [[Land of Israel|Israel]] and the town of [[Carchemish]] where the road crossed over the [[Euphrates]] River. An important strategic asset, Riblah had plenty of water, food and fuel, which made also suitable as a military camp.

In Roman times, the town also bore the name '''Daphne'''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Saadia Gaon|author-link=Saadia Gaon|title=Rabbi Saadia Gaon's Commentaries on the Pentateuch |editor=Yosef Qafih |editor-link=Yosef Qafih |edition=4 |year=1984|publisher=[[Mossad Harav Kook]]|location=Jerusalem|page=164 (note 6) |language=he|oclc=232667032}}, citing [[Targum Jonathan]] and {{cite book|last=Bar Droma|first=Chaim|title=Wezeh gevul haares: the true boundaries of the Holy Land according to the sources|date=1958|publisher=Hotsaʼat sefarim Beʼer le-ḥeḳer ha-Miḳra ṿeha-arets|location=Jerusalem |page=273|language=he |oclc=654298149 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Schwarz|first=Joseph|authorlink=|title=A Descriptive Geography and Brief Historical Sketch of Palestine|year=1969|publisher=Hermon Press |location=New York|translator=Isaac Leeser |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-CUAAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA412 |language=en |oclc=255586852 }}, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-CUAAAAAQAAJ&dq=Dufni+Arabs+Riblah+Banias&pg=PA28 28] (reprinted A. Hart: Philadelphia 1850)</ref>

==Riblah in Canaan==
There was also a town with the same name on the eastern boundary of the [[Promised Land|land promised to Moses]] in Canaan, known from {{bibleverse|Numbers 34:2, 10, 11|multi=yes}}, but whose location is still uncertain.<ref name=NegevGibson/> The town is described in {{bibleverse|Numbers|34:11}} as "on the eastern side of Ain". Two springs still called ''el-Ain el-Fauqah'' and ''el-Ain el-Tahta'' ("the upper" and "the lower fountain") can still be found about 10 miles east of the Sea of Galilee, close to the town of Samar in [[Irbid Governorate]], Jordan.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{EBD|wstitle=Riblah}}

[[Category:Hebrew Bible cities]]