Bible Dictionaries
Elath

Holman Bible Dictionary

(ee' lath) or ELOTH (ee' lohth) Place name meaning, “ram,” “mighty trees,” or “terebinth.” See Deuteronomy 2:8 ). It was significant enough to serve as a point of reference to identify Ezion-geber, where King Solomon made his naval vessels (1 Kings 9:26; compare 2 Chronicles 8:17-18 ). Later King Uzziah (792-740) rebuilt the seaport and controlled it for Judah (2 Kings 14:22 ). Archaeologists have usually identified Elath as another name for Ezion-geber and located it at tell el-Kheleifeh. More recent archaeological work has attempted to show that Ezion-geber was the port city on the island of Jezirat Faraun. Elath would then be the mainland base to which goods were transferred for loading onto pack animals for the long caravan travels northward to Judah, Israel, Syria, or Phoenicia or for travels eastward to Assyria or Babylonia or westward to Egypt. See Ezion-geber .