Hazezon Tamar
“Pruning of the palm; row of palm trees”
Summary
Hazezon Tamar was the ancient name of En-gedi, a place on the western shore of the Dead Sea famous for its palm trees, where the Amorites dwelt when the four kings made their incursion.
☩Ancient History
Hazezon Tamar first appears in the oldest biblical records as the dwelling place of the Amorites when the four kings made their successful incursion and fought their battle with the five kings of the plain. The name meaning 'pruning of the palm' or 'row of palm-trees' reflects the region's ancient reputation for palm cultivation. Jerome rendered the name as 'city of palms.'
☩Identification with En-gedi
The name occurs once more in the records of Jehoshaphat's reign, when he was warned of approaching Ammonite, Moabite, and other invaders. Here the explanation 'which is En-gedi' is added, identifying this ancient site with the later name. These invaders followed the same route as the Assyrians had taken a thousand years before. The persistence of the earlier name alongside En-gedi illustrates the remarkable tenacity of ancient Oriental names.
☩The Kenite Connection
This may have been the 'city of palm trees' from which the Kenites, the tribe of Moses' father-in-law, went up into the wilderness of Judah. If so, Balaam's allusion to the Kenite becomes clear—standing on heights opposite Jericho, he could see the western shore of the Dead Sea to En-gedi and the cliff where the Kenites had fixed their secure 'nest.'
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Hazezon-tamar," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Hazezontamar," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Hazezon Tamar," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).