Page 99 - Advanced Bible Geography ebook
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Balsam trees grew in Jericho. The oil of these trees was used at the Temple. Shortly before the
destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, priests destroyed the trees to keep them from being “defiled”
by the Romans.
Jordan River
Ada
The “Rift Valley” stretches from the Sea of
Galilee to the Dead Sea all the way to the
southern-most tip of Israel at Elat. The Jordan
River slowly meanders from the Sea of Galilee
Jericho to the Dead Sea in this valley. By the time it
reaches Jericho, the valley is marked by high
Jerusalem Dead Sea cliffs on either side of the Jordan, as seen in the
photo above.
Adam
Adam was a city on the Jordan River beside Zarethan mentioned in the Bible in Joshua 3:16 with the
parting of the Jordan. When the children of Israel came to the Jordan near Jericho, the River was at
flood stage. God miraculously dried up the Jordan River so they could pass across the river. The waters
rose upon as a heap near the city of Adam, about 18 miles north of Jericho. The city is located just
below the mouth of the Jabbok River which empties into the Jordan River.
Shiloh
The word, “Shiloh” means “the peaceful one” and was an allusion to the Messiah (Isa 9:6) in
Scripture w
here the phrase, “until Shiloh comes” refers to the coming of the king who will bring peace.
Shiloh is a place of rest, a city of Ephraim, on the north side of Bethel which is a distance of 10
miles. Here the tabernacle was set up after the Conquest of Canaan (Joshua 18:1-10 and where
it remained during the period of the judges until the ark fell into the hands of the Philistines.
Here Joshua divided by lot the part of the western Jordan land not yet allotted (Joshua 19:51).
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