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Bible Dictionaries
Elath
Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
or or ELOTH, a part of Idumea, situate upon the Red Sea, the emporium of Syria in Asia. It was taken by David, 2 Samuel 8:14 , who there established an extensive trade. There Solomon built ships, 2 Chronicles 8:17-18 . The Israelites held possession of Elath one hundred and fifty years, when the Edomites, in the reign of Joram, recovered it.
2 Kings 8:20 . It was again taken from them by Azariah, and by him left to his son, 2 Kings 14:22 . The king of Syria took it from his grandson, 2 Kings 16:6 . In process of time it fell to the Ptolemies, and lastly to the Romans. The branch of the Red Sea on which this city stood, obtained among Heathen writers the name of Sinus Elaniticus or Elanitic Gulf, from a town built on its site called Elana, and subsequently Ala; which, as we are informed by Eusebius and Jerom, was used as a port in their time. The modern Arabian town of Akaba stands upon or near the site either of Elath or Ezion-Geber; which of the two it is impossible to determine, as both ports, standing at the head of the gulf, were probably separated from each other by a creek or small bay only.
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Watson, Richard. Entry for 'Elath'. Richard Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/wtd/e/elath.html. 1831-2.
