Place Old Testament
Ahava
Ahava, a location near Babylon where Ezra gathered the exiles before their return to Jerusalem. Mentioned in 3 verses across 1 book, first at Ezra 8:15.
Why it matters. A place where Ezra assembled the returning exiles.
- Location
- 33.625, 42.787 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Ahava
Ahava was a place near Babylon where Ezra assembled the Jewish exiles who were preparing to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:15). It was located by a river, also called Ahava, which is believed to be a canal or tributary of the Euphrates River. Ezra had sent for Levites and temple servants to join the group of returning exiles, and they gathered at Ahava before setting out on their journey.
At Ahava, Ezra proclaimed a fast for the people to humble themselves before God and seek His protection for their journey (Ezra 8:21). After the fast, the exiles set out from Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month and arrived safely in Jerusalem, thanks to the hand of God upon them (Ezra 8:31). The mention of Ahava in the book of Ezra highlights the importance of spiritual preparation and reliance on God's guidance and protection during the Jews' return from exile in Babylon.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 3 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.