We are in the Gilead region on the banks of the Biblical Yabbok River known today as Zarqa river. Gilead is the area on the eastern side of the Jordan River between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Some of the significant events in the life of our forefather Jacob took place right here along the Yabbok: in Mahanaim, in Penuel the adjacent hill, in the biblical city of Succoth 8 kilometers west of here, close to the Jordan river. Such a small section that is within touching distance and has such a great influence, and more on that later. In the Gilead region, Jacob made a covenant with Laban the Aramean, and then he placed a mound of stones as evidence, called in Hebrew Gal-Ed. The Israeli settlement in Gilead existed for hundreds of years, from the days of settlement until the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles. Not all of the people were exiled, so settlements continued to exist during the days of the Return to Zion, throughout the Second Temple period, during the Mishnah period, and even after. The Israelites settled all over the Gilead, north and south of the Yabbok or Zarqa river, but it is likely that the region north of the Yabbok was more populated, because it is more fertile. It was also closer to other developed kingdoms such as Aram Damascus, and is a short distance from Samaria and Galilee, and therefore, the influence and the significance of Gilead throughout the ancient history of the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.
Two neighbouring mounds separated by the Yabbok River are in front of us. The locals call them Tulul al-Dhab, the mounds of gold, so it is no wonder that this name has attracted many antiquities robbers to the place. This is an archaeological site on which according to many researchers, the biblical Israelite settlements of Mahanaim and Penuel were built. At top of each of the hills lies an ancient ruin. The hills are about 120 meters above the Yabbok River, which flows in a winding course around them. The western and larger of the twins (Tel al-Dhab al-Gharbi) is located on the northern side of the Yabbok River. It was inhabited at least from the Bronze Age and perhaps even earlier until Late Antiquity. The eastern mound (Tel al-Dhab al-Sharqi) is located to the south of the river. The eastern mound is much smaller than the western mound.
A brief overview of the settlements from the biblical period in our vicinity along the Yabbok, the Zarqa river. We will begin with Penuel, which is located opposite us, near the southern bank of the Yabbok, 8 kilometers east of the biblical settlement of Succoth, identified with Tell Deir Alla. Jacob experienced three things in the Penuel area.
The first, crossing the Yabbok on his way to meet Esau: as it is written in the Book of Genesis chapter 32:23 “And he rose up in the night, and took his two wives, and his two handmaids, and his 11 children; and he passed over the ford of Yabbok.” How difficult is it to cross this river? In this area it is not that difficult, the riverbed is relatively shallow. As we saw as we walked along it, there are places where you can throw stones into the riverbed and cross it. On the subject of crossing, I must admit that every time I read Genesis chapter 32, the same question comes to my mind – It is written that with Jacob are his 11 children, yet at that time he had 12 children: 11 sons and one daughter. Benjamin was born later. Why is it only written 11? I have heard different explanations, but nothing that has convinced me. If you have an interesting explanation please write me.
The second point – the change of Jacob’s name to Israel: The story is told in the same chapter 32, verse 29: “And he said: ‘Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”
The third point – the determination of the name of the place – as described in verse 31 “and Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (in Hebrew it means Face of God): for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
The book of Judges Chapter 8 tells the story of Judge Gideon pursuit of the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna. The Midianites were a nomadic people who lived in the desert, descendants of Midian son of Abraham and Keturah. The Midianites lived in the northwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, east of the Dead Sea and in the Arava. They routinely raided the Israelites. Gideon crossed the Jordan river with 300 of his soldiers, they were exhausted from chasing Zebah and Zalmunna. They arrived at the city of Succoth and Gideon asked for bread for his soldiers. The leaders of Succoth replied that if he would already have Zebah and Zalmunna they would give them food but not under the current situation. Gideon told them, that once he will catch the two kings, he will return to Succoth and kill each one of them. Gideon continued to the next settlement of Penuel located here, 8kilometers east to Succoth, so it took them probably 2hrs as they were already exhausted. It was copy and paste of what occurred in Succoth. Gideon eventually caught Zebah and Zalmunna and fulfilled his promised to the people of Succoth and Penuel and killed them.
The last mention of Penuel in the Hebrew Bible is during the reign of King Jeroboam, the first king of the Kingdom of Israel after the split with the Kingdom of Judah. Jeroboam established Penuel as the capital city. Why Penuel and not Mahanaim, which is adjacent to it? There are several possible reasons, I will mention two of them: the 1st, Mahanaim was marked as being associated with King David and the Kingdom of Judah, and I will only mention that King David fled to Mahanaim when his son Absalom rebelled against him. A 2nd possible reason is that Jeroboam sought to revive ancient traditions with the intention of distancing the hearts of the tribes of Israel from Jerusalem, and for this reason Penuel, which is historically and religiously linked to the establishment of the name Israel, was better for him.
The area is also mentioned in the 1st book of Kings chapter 7, where it is told of King Solomon casting the vessels of the First Temple near Succoth, and I will return to this topic in a moment when I will address the issue of livelihood in this area. So, let’s discuss Mahanaim, which is right across from us. It is first mentioned in the book of Genesis chapter 32, as the place where Jacob encountered the angels of God, as it is written: “2 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 3 And Jacob said when he saw them: ‘This is God’s camp.’ And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.” Mahanaim in Hebrew means two camps. The incident in Penuel occurs several verses after Mahanaim, which indicates the short distance between the two sites as reflected in reality in front of us. There are several other places Mahanaim is mentioned:
After the death of King Saul, his son Ish-Bosheth was crowned king of Israel in Mahanaim.
- As I already mentioned, King David fled to Mahanaim during the rebellion of his son Absalom. As can be seen, the place here is hidden, which allowed him time to organize administratively and militarily while being about 100 km from Jerusalem.
- Mahanaim was chosen as a city of refuge in the territory of the tribe of Gad, as written in the Book of Joshua 21:36.
Archaeologically, items from an ancient settlement from the period between 1300 and 970 BCE were identified on the upper terraces, some items found were used for ritual activities from the royal period, up to 586 BCE. Foundations of structures built during the Persian and Hellenistic periods were also found. This palace was probably destroyed by fire a few decades BCE. The remaining buildings that survived, collapsed later in an earthquake.
It is difficult to compare Penuel and Mahanaim. One of the reasons, is because it is likely that both were not at the height of their glory at the same time. Penuel’s importance increased during the period of the Judges until its destruction by Gideon after he killed Zebah and Zalmunna. At the beginning of the royal period, Mahanaim is the important site after king David establishes an administrative base here. That changes again with the arrival of Shishak the king of Egypt, and then Jeroboam rebuilds Penuel and raises its importance.
The Yabbok is called in Arabic: Zarqa river, the Blue river, and is one of the largest rivers in Jordan and one of the most important tributaries of the Jordan River, into which it flows near the village of Damiya, at an altitude of 313 meters below sea level. It begins at an altitude of about 780 meters. The length of the river is approx. 100 kilometers, and its source is in the Amman region, or Rabbat Ammon in Hebrew. So, it is no wonder that Joab, the commander of David’s army, calls Rabbah of Ammon the city of water, as it is written in 2 Samuel chapter 11:27. “And Joab sent messengers to David; and he said, I have fought against Rabbah, and I have also captured the city of water…”. The annual amount of water flowing through the Yabbok is over 60 million cubic meters, but about 70% of Jordan’s residents live today in the drainage area of the Yabbok, and its waters are polluted to the extent that they are not suitable for drinking, but only for irrigation. The Yabbok valley, into which the Gilead Mountains drain, forms a valley of about 12 kilometers long before it reaches the Jordan river, which is called the Valley of Succoth.
The Yabbok served as a boundary marker. After the Israelites defeated the Amorites, they inherited their land according to the book of Numbers chapter 21:24 from the Arnon which is Wadi al Mujib to the Yabbok river: “…even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.” Meaning, before the settlement, the western border of Ammon was with Sihon king of the Amorites, and after the conquest, it was with the tribe of Gad. In addition, after the conquest of the land, the Yabbok or Zarqa river served as a natural boundary between the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh north of the Yabbok and the territory of the tribe of Gad south of it.
What about livelihoods in the area? The Yabbok area and the Succoth Valley were the center of the iron industry from the 12th century BCE onwards. The conflicts that broke out between the Ammonites and King David were probably also about controlling the iron mines of Wadi Rajeb, in the region north of the Yabbok River. The mines were initially developed by the Philistines, and later taken over by the Ammonites. This war, between king David and the Ammonites is described in the 2nd book of Samuel chapter 12. Also, in the Succoth Valley, which is about 250-350 meters below sea level, the climate enabled this area to become an important center for the cultivation of valuable spices and medicines that the Ishmaelite caravan brought to Egypt, as we are told in the Book of Genesis chapter 37:25.
I hope you enjoyed the view and its connection to the ancient history and the Hebrew Bible. And to conclude as usual, I have a question for you. What was the ancient name of the Gilead in the area north of the Yabbok, where half-tribe of Manasseh settled? The answer will appear at the end of the video.
