Journey 3 - Kadesh-Barnea to Abel-Shittim

1 Mt. Hor: Means "Hor, the mountain"

For this final journey the whole congregation of the children of Israel went. They were finally leaving Kadesh to go out and possess the land that God had given them. They traveled from Kadesh-Barnea to Mount Hor, but their route is not given this time. It is my guess that they would have followed the easiest route which would be the route they probably traveled for almost 38 years with the flocks, namely, the path followed for journey number two, which is the route I have chosen for the map.

Mount Hor was their first recorded encampment after leaving Kadesh-Barnea. Mt. Hor is located on the NW "edge of the land of Edom." It is not within the Edomite lands. It is currently believed to be a hill called Jebel Maderah which rises to the NE of Kadesh ('Ain kadis').

It is while at this encampment that Aaron dies upon the top of Mount Hor.

"...and Aaron died there in the top of the mount." Num. 20:28

The Israelites stayed there and mourned for Aaron for thirty days.

"And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel." Num.20:29

From Mount Hor they started to proceed north by the way of the spies, but king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south of Judea heard that they were coming, he went out and fought against them and took some of them prisoners.

This upset Israel and they vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said,

"If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities." Num. 21:2

"And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities; and he called the name of the place Hormah." Num. 21:3

However, they were prevented from going further north and had to turn around at Hormah and return to Mount Hor. From Mount Hor they went south by way of the Red Sea, down around Mount Seir because Edom would not let them travel north through their country on the king's highway. (The king's highway went north through the Aqaba to just below the Dead Sea, then it turned east and then north into the land of Moab).

God gave Moses instructions at this point relating to their journey.

"Ye are to pass through the coast (border) of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink." Deut. 2:4-6

This part of the journey took many days and the people of Israel were very discouraged.

"And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." Num. 21:4 "And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab." Deut. 2:8

There were five encampments named on the plain from Elath to Moab.

2 Zalmonah: Means "Gloomy Valley"

Located east of Mount Seir somewhere on the mesa. The name seems to match the event that most likely happened at this encampment.

Once again they started complaining against Moses and against God, and the Lord responded by sending fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people and many Israelites died.

The people repented and asked Moses to pray for them that God would remove the fiery serpents. God had Moses make a brass serpent and set it upon a pole. Whenever the people were bitten, they could look at the pole and would live. The full story is in Numbers 21:4-9.

3 Punon: An Edomite village

Punon was northeast of Petra, in the desert, where convicts were employed digging copper.

4 Oboth: Means "Water Bags"

There was an abundance of water here that, no doubt, gave the camp its name.

5 Ijeabarim: Possibly means "The Ruins"

It was just before the border of Moab and the Arnon River, facing the desert in the east.

"And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising." Num. 21:11

6 Zered (Iyim): Possibly means "Torrent Valley"

Zered is on the north side of the Arnon River on the border between Moabites and the Amorites. From Zalmonah to Zered was sixty miles. This averages out to sixteen miles per day. This is feasible for this area because it was fairly flat and plenty of water along the way for the people and flocks.

The traditional identification of the Arnon with Wady Mojib is rendered certain by the positions of Dibon (Dhiban) and Aroer close by.

It was the southern border of the Amorites who had driven the Moabites out of the Plains of Moab and south of the river Arnon, depriving them of their best lands which stretched to Heshbon. The Amorites had plans to drive the Moabs out completely from the southern region as well, but the Israelites changed all that when they defeated the Amorites at Jahaz farther along in their journey. The Hebrews were now a strong people fit for war.

"And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook of Zered, was thirty-eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord sware unto them." Deut. 2:14

From Arnon to Pisgah (Nebo) seven encampments are mentioned in about twenty miles. This means that they were moving camps just enough to change the grazing areas for their flocks. These camps were placed at various waters from Bethjeshimoth on the northeastern shore of the Dead Sea to Abel-Shittim (meadow of Acacias) now called Ghor Es-Seiseban, or "Valley of Acacias." In this area of fifty square miles there were four running streams, besides springs, and excellent pasture for flocks. This area was headquarters of Israel during the Amorite war. Only the fighting men proceeded to Jahaz to defeat Sihon, the king of the Amorites.

7 Dibon-gad: Means "Washing"

A city of Moab captured by the Amorites, then by the Israelites.

"We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon..." Num. 21:30

Dibon was taken and given to the tribe of Gad and the name was changed to Dibon-gad. Along with other cities in the territory north of the Arnon, Dibon changed hands several times between Moab and Israel. It is represented by the modern Dhibon, about 4 miles north of Aroer, on the line of the old Roman road.

8 Almon-diblathaim: Means "Almon of the double cake of figs"

Almon-Diblathaim is located in Moab between Dibon-gad and the mountains of Abarim. The name was probably given because the location was like two lumps of pressed figs.

9 Beer: Means "A well"

This encampment was probably very near Dibon-gad, this being one of those shallow water pits which the Arabs still scoop out in the valleys when the water runs below the surface.

10 Mattanah: Means "The gift"

It is possible that the name refers to a well in the wilderness. It was located somewhere between Beer and Nahaliel, their next encampment.

11 Nahaliel: Means "The Valley of God"

It is placed at the great gorge of the Zerka Ma-Ain, on the road from Dibon to Nebo, crossing its head near Beth-Meon.

12 Bamoth: Means "The monuments of Baal"

This is one of the sites where Balak, king of Moab, conducted Balaam to view and to curse Israel at a later date.

13 Pisgah: Means "Head" or "Top" and is generally connected with Mt. Nebo

The was the last encampment before the big battle with the king of Sihon which took place at Jahaz. The Israelites defeated him in battle and took over all his lands and settled there while they battled with and defeated the king of Bashan, taking over all his lands as well. It was here that Moses later died and God buried him in a valley. No one knows where, for God told no one where he was placed. Joshua was placed in charge of the Israelites as God had commanded.

"So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day...And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days." Deut. 34:6-8

14 Shittim: Means "The Acacias"

Shittim was the last encampment of the Israelites before they began their actual conquest of Western Palestine. The Israelites spread out all over the plains of Israel and dwelt in that land.

The people soon began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab and began serving their gods. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and a plague began among them. God ordered the death of all those who had turned away from God. Moses ordered the judges of Israel to slay all their men who had joined unto Baal-peor. Their heads were to be hung up before the Lord.

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel." Num. 25:4

One of the children of Israel brazenly brought a Midianite women into the camp in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand. He went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. The plague was then stopped.

"And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand." Num. 25:9 For the complete story read Num. 25:1-9

After the death of Moses and the mourning period had ended Joshua, according to the Lord's command, took them across the Jordan at Jericho.

"And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses. And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, In all the signs and wonders, which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel." Deut. 34:9-12

See the map called "First Four Battles" for the next phase of their journeys.

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