Place Old Testament
King's Highway
Also known as King's, Highway
The King's Highway, an ancient trade route through Edom and Moab, was the path the Israelites sought to use during their journey to Canaan (Numbers 20:17; 21:22). Mentioned in 2 verses across 1 book, first at Numbers 20:17.
Why it matters. An ancient trade route through Edom and Moab
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.181, 35.702 (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 King's Highway
The King's Highway was an ancient trade route that ran through the kingdoms of Edom and Moab, east of the Jordan River. It was a vital commercial and military route connecting Egypt, Arabia, and Mesopotamia. During the Israelites' journey from Egypt to Canaan, Moses sent messengers to the kings of Edom and Sihon, requesting passage along the King's Highway (Numbers 20:17; 21:22). The Israelites promised to stay on the highway and not disturb the fields or vineyards, but both kings refused to grant them passage. As a result, the Israelites had to detour around Edom and defeat Sihon in battle to continue their journey. The King's Highway played a significant role in the region's history and is still identifiable in parts of modern-day Jordan.
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
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.