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Place Old Testament

Sebam

Also known as Sebam =ESV, NIV; Shebam =KJV

Sebam was one of the towns in the territory of Reuben, east of the Jordan River (Num. 32:3). Mentioned once in Scripture, at Numbers 32:3.

Why it matters. Town in the territory of Reuben

Primary passages
Location
31.815, 35.767 (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 Sebam

Sebam is mentioned only once in the Bible, in the list of towns requested by the tribes of Reuben and Gad as their inheritance east of the Jordan River (Num. 32:3). The town was located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Reuben, which was situated in the southern part of the region known as Gilead. The exact location of Sebam is unknown, but it was likely in the vicinity of other towns mentioned in the same list, such as Heshbon and Elealeh. No other information about the town is provided in the Bible, and its history and significance remain obscure. The request for these towns by Reuben and Gad suggests that the region was suitable for livestock and agriculture, which were the primary occupations of these tribes.

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 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.

  • Numbers (1 verse)

    32:3

Record type: Place. FaithGraph explanations on this page are editorial and are not Scripture.