Place Old Testament
Ezion-geber
Also known as Ezion-geber =ESV, KJV; Ezion-gaber =KJV; Ezion Geber =NIV
Ezion-geber, an Israelite encampment during the Exodus and later a port city on the Red Sea, known for its maritime trade and shipbuilding. Mentioned in 7 verses across 4 books, first at Numbers 33:35.
Why it matters. Israelite encampment; port city on Red Sea
- Location
- 29.758, 35.031 (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 Ezion-geber
Ezion-geber is mentioned in the Bible as both an encampment site during the Israelites' wilderness wanderings and a significant port city on the Red Sea during the reigns of Solomon and Jehoshaphat.
In the context of the Exodus, Ezion-geber is listed as one of the places where the Israelites camped after departing from Kadesh and before entering the land of Canaan (Numbers 33:35-36; Deu.2.8). It was located near Elath, at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the modern-day country of Jordan.
During Solomon's reign, Ezion-geber became a major port city and a center for maritime trade. Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which sailed to Ophir and brought back gold, silver, and other precious materials (1Ki.9.26-28; 2Ch.8.17-18). The strategic location of Ezion-geber allowed Solomon to establish trade routes with Arabia, East Africa, and possibly even India.
Later, during the reign of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, there was an attempt to revive the maritime trade from Ezion-geber.
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 7 verses across 4 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.