Riblah
Summary
Riblah was a city in Syria where both Pharaoh Necho and Nebuchadnezzar established military headquarters, and where King Zedekiah's sons were killed before his eyes.
☩Strategic Location
Riblah was situated in the land of Hamath on the Orontes River, in a fertile plain ideal for military encampments. Its location on the main route between Egypt and Mesopotamia made it a natural military headquarters for armies moving through the region. The site is identified with modern Ribleh, about thirty-five miles northeast of Baalbek.
☩Headquarters of Conquerors
Pharaoh Necho used Riblah as his headquarters after defeating and killing King Josiah at Megiddo. Here he deposed Jehoahaz after only three months of reign and placed Jehoiakim on Judah's throne, imposing heavy tribute. Later, Nebuchadnezzar made Riblah his headquarters during the Babylonian campaigns against Jerusalem and the surrounding nations.
☩Zedekiah's Judgment
After Jerusalem's fall in 586 BC, King Zedekiah attempted to escape but was captured near Jericho and brought before Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. In a scene of terrible cruelty, Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah's sons slaughtered before his eyes, then put out his eyes, bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon. Other nobles of Judah were also executed at Riblah, marking the end of the Davidic monarchy's political rule.
Related Verses11 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Riblah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Riblah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Riblah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).