Memphis
Summary
An ancient capital of Egypt located on the Nile below the Delta, called Noph in the Old Testament.
☩Location and History
Memphis was situated on the west bank of the Nile, about fifteen miles south of modern Cairo, at the apex of the Delta. Founded by Menes, the first king of united Egypt, it served as capital during the Old Kingdom period (c. 2686-2181 BC) and remained a major city throughout Egyptian history. The great pyramids at Giza were built as tombs for Memphis's rulers.
☩Biblical Names
Scripture refers to Memphis as Noph (Isaiah 19:13; Jeremiah 2:16; 44:1; 46:14, 19; Ezekiel 30:13, 16) and Moph (Hosea 9:6). The Hebrew Noph derives from the Egyptian name Men-nefer ('enduring beauty'). Memphis was renowned for its temple to the god Ptah and its sacred bull, Apis.
☩Prophetic Judgments
Isaiah prophesied: 'The princes of Noph are deceived' (Isaiah 19:13). Jeremiah warned Jews fleeing to Egypt: 'Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant' (Jeremiah 46:19). Ezekiel declared: 'I will destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph' (Ezekiel 30:13). Hosea warned that those who fled to Egypt would find burial in Memphis: 'Memphis shall bury them' (Hosea 9:6).
☩Decline
Memphis declined after Alexander the Great founded Alexandria (332 BC), which became Egypt's new capital. The city's stones were quarried for building Cairo. Today only ruins remain, including colossal statues and the alabaster sphinx. The prophecies of Memphis's desolation have been remarkably fulfilled.