Bible Dictionaries
Tahpanhes

Holman Bible Dictionary

(tah' puhn heess) Hebrew transliteration of an Egyptian place name meaning, “fortress of Penhase” or “house of the Nubian.” City in the Nile Delta near the eastern border of Egypt (Jeremiah 2:16 ). The site, identified with Daphnai (tell Defneh), shows little evidence of heavy occupation before the Saite dynasty (663 B.C.), which garrisoned Greek mercenaries there to hedge against Assyrian advances. In 605 B.C. then crown prince Nebuchadrezzar defeated the Egyptian forces at Carchemish on the northern Euphrates and pursued them to the border of Egypt. In 601 B.C. Nebuchadrezzar and Pharoah Neco again fought to a stalemate at the Egyptian border. Jeremiah 46:14 perhaps relates to one of these incidents. Following the destruction of Jerusalem and continuing unrest in Judah, a large group of Jews took Jeremiah with them and fled to Tahpanhes ( Jeremiah 43:7; Jeremiah 44:1 ). Jeremiah argued against the move (Jeremiah 42:19 ), warning that Nebuchadrezzar would again reach Tahpanhes (Jeremiah 46:14 ).