Elealeh
“God has ascended, or the high place of God”
Summary
A city east of the Jordan in the territory of Reuben, later taken by Moab and mentioned in the prophetic oracles against that nation.
☩History and Location
Elealeh was a city in the territory taken from Sihon king of the Amorites and assigned to the tribe of Reuben. The Reubenites rebuilt it along with other cities in the region. According to Eusebius, it lay one Roman mile from Heshbon. The site is identified with modern el-'Al, meaning 'the high,' a mound crowned with ruins about a mile north of Hesban, standing 3,064 feet above sea level and commanding a wide view of the surrounding plain.
☩In Prophetic Judgment
By the time of the prophets, Elealeh had been appropriated by Moab. Isaiah and Jeremiah both mention it alongside Heshbon in their oracles against Moab, describing the cry of distress that would go out from these cities when judgment fell. The city's 'high' position made it prominent in the landscape and in prophetic imagery.
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Elealeh," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.George Morrish, "Elealeh," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Elealeh," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).