Leon's Message Board

“Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own officers, men who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon (2 Chronicles 8:17,18).

Let’s first get the geographical setting of Elath (also spelled Eloth, Eilat):

The location of Elath was at the southern tip of the Arabah, and the north eastern tip of the Red Sea, at the Gulf of Aqaba. This allowed Solomon’s fleet of ships access to the Red Sea and of course, south from there into the Indian Ocean. It would seem that through this means of commerce the Queen of Sheba (see map inset) learned of Solomon, and made the journey to see for herself the incredible reports she had heard (related in the next chapter, 2 Chron. 9:1-12).

In March 2018, Ferrell Jenkins and I made a personal study trip which included this area. In this photo I am at Elath looking south.

Here we see a view showing some ships at Elath.

B. S. Hummel has the following information regarding Elath:

A city and harbor at the head of the Gulf of Aqabah. Elath’s strategic position made it an important gateway for caravan and naval commerce with Arabia and eastern Africa. In the OT Elath is frequently placed in close proximity to Ezion-geber. Some scholars consider Tell el-Kheleifeh (147884), which lies between modern Elath and Aqabah, as Elath, others as Ezion-geber, and still others as the site for both Elath and Ezion-geber. The site was also known as El-paran (Gen. 14:6). The Ptolemies changed its name to Bernice.
Elath was originally Edomite, possibly taking its name from the Edomite chief Elah (Gen. 36:41 = 1 Chr. 1:52; Eloth). Toward the end of the Exodus, the Israelites passed through Elath before turning north toward Edom and Moab (Deut. 2:8). David probably captured it during his campaign against the Edomites (2 Sam. 8:13–14). Solomon then established a navy of ships in Ezion-geber near Elath (1 Kgs. 9:26 = 2 Chr. 8:17). Apparently the Edomites had regained control, but Uzziah (Azariah, 2 Kgs. 14:22; 2 Chr. 26:2) recaptured and restored it (ca. 780 B.C.). However, under Aramean (Syrian) pressure during the Syro-Ephraimite War (ca. 735), Ahaz lost it to the Edomites permanently (2 Kgs. 16:6).

Hummel, B. S. (2000). Elath. In D. N. Freedman, A. C. Myers, & A. B. Beck (Eds.), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (p. 388). W.B. Eerdmans.

At Elath, looking east. We are of course in the Great Rift Valley here.

The Port of Elath/Eilat (Hebrew: נמל אילת) is the only Israeli port on the Red Sea.