Akrabbim
“Scorpions”
Summary
A mountain pass on the southern boundary of Canaan, known as the "Ascent of Scorpions" due to the abundance of scorpions in the region.
☩Location and Identification
Akrabbim, always mentioned with maaleh ("ascent"), refers to a steep pass or climb that formed part of the southern boundary of the promised land. The name means "scorpions," indicating the area was heavily infested with these creatures, as the entire district is known to be. The pass marked the boundary between the territory of Israel and the wilderness, and was also identified as the border of the Amorites.
☩Possible Locations
Various identifications have been proposed for Akrabbim. Some scholars locate it at the line of cliffs separating the Arabah valley from the region south of the Dead Sea. Others identify it with the pass Es-Sufah, representing the final steep ascent from the desert to the level of Palestine proper. The site later witnessed Judas Maccabeus's victory over the Edomites.
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Akrabbim," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Akrabbim," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Akrabbim," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).