Nehushtan was the name eventually given to the bronze serpent Moses lifted up in the wilderness (Numbers 21:5-9) when the murmuring Israelites were bitten by a plague of poisonous snakes. The power to heal was not in the bronze serpent, but in the LORD. Looking upon the serpent was a “condition”; “if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived” (v.9).
But unfortunately by the time of the Divided Kingdom years, that serpent had become an object of idolatry. In the context of good King Hezekiah’s reforms in Judah we read, “He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan)” (2 Kings 18:4).
There is a visual at Mt. Nebo that is helpful. (Mt. Nebo was the mountain where Moses was permitted to see the promised land of Canaan, from the eastern side of the Jordan River, and then he died (Deut. 34:1-8).
Jesus made use of the this Old Testament event of Moses’s day to draw a parallel with His gracious work of salvation, in one of the most well known texts of Scripture: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:14-16). You will notice the info sign in our photo references this text.
That is my former professor and friend Ferrell Jenkins at right in photo.
Assyrian King Sennacherib (r. 705-681 BC) is the pagan king who made the mistake of challenging YAHWEH, the LORD God of Israel, in the days of Judah’s King Hezekiah, as well as the prophet Isaiah. The history is narrated in 2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36-37. Against all odds, the Lord delivered Judah and in particular Jerusalem, from Sennacherib, for His name’s sake, and for His servant David’s sake.
Genesis 32 records the return trip of the patriarch Jacob from his 20-year sojourn in upper Mesopotamia back toward his home in Canaan. Still on the eastern side of the Jordan, the text reads, “That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok” (v.22). It would be that same night that Jacob wrestled with the Divine Messenger (cf. Hosea 12:4), who gave Jacob his new name, “Israel.”
The Jabbok marked the northern border of Sihon, king of the Amorites (Num. 21:24), who were defeated during the period of the Conquest.
The Anchor Bible Dictionary has the following:
JABBOK (PLACE) [Heb yabbōq (יַבֹּק)]. One of the four major streams of Transjordan, now known as the Wadi Zerqa or the Nahr ez-Zerqa, “the blue river.” Its sources are near Amman, the biblical Rabbath-ammon. Its upper courses flow in a NE direction to modern Zerqa. From there the stream curves to the W where the lower courses rapidly descend into the Great Rift valley, a drop that begins at ca. 820 m above sea level to ca. 300 m below. It joins the Jordan river just N of Adam, ca. 37 km N of the Dead Sea. Its total length is about 100 km. (Vol. 3, p. 549).
2 Kings 15:1-7 summarizes the reign of Judah’s good King Uzziah (Azzariah), who reigned 790-740 BC. The parallel in 2 Chronicles 26 gives much more information. There his successful wars with the Philistine and Arabians are recorded. He fortified the walls of Jerusalem. Also he constructed towers in the desert and dug many wells, which promoted agriculture & vine growing. The explanation is given, “for he loved the soil” (2 Chron. 26:10). Azariah also had an organized army of 307,500 (2 Chron. 26:13). Indeed, his “fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong” (2 Chron. 26:15).
The next verse however, begins with the word “But.” “But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense” (2 Chron. 26:16). Because of this presumption (only the Levitical priests were authorized to do this; Uzziah was of the tribe of Judah), God struck him with leprosy. “King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house” (v.21). When Uzziah died, “they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings” (v.23). I.e., he was not buried in the tomb of the kings, because he was a leper. He was buried in the field.
When the city of Jerusalem expanded, the remains of King Uzziah were reinterred. This fascinating grave marker marked the spot of the new burial of Uzziah. The inscription reads, “To this place were brought the bones of Uzziah, king of Judah. Do not open!” This marker is dated ca. 1st century BC.
Linguists tell us that it is written in Aramaic script of the type which was used about the time of Christ. Uzziah, however, was reigning as king of Judah about 775 B.C. II Chronicles 26 describes his successful reign in some detail—how he equipped a large standing army and made war successfully against the Philistines and the Arabians, regaining control of the trade routes to Egypt and to the Red Sea, but how he was stricken with leprosy, died, and was “buried with his fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings.” The inscription on the slab dates over six or seven hundred years after his death. It would seem that for one reason or another the traditional grave of Uzziah was cleared, and the bones which were found were gathered up and deposited in a new mausoleum. The gravestone is exceedingly interesting, for one thing because it shows the reverence paid even two thousand years ago to the graves of great men of the past, and also because it has on it the longest connected Aramaic inscription of the time of Christ, and shows the way in which the language commonly spoken in Palestine at that time was written. (Biblical Archaeologist 1-4).
The Lexham Bible Dictionary has the following info:
The Uzziah Inscription The (Aramaic) Uzziah Inscription reads, “Hither were brought the bones of Uzziah, King of Judah. Do not open” (Bahat, Atlas, 50). From the style of the inscription, Uzziah’s bones seem to have been reburied during the Second Temple period. Uzziah was apparently buried separately from the other kings of Judah, as the Chronicler states, “they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper’ ” (2 Chr 26:23). Josephus notes that “he was buried by himself in his own gardens” (Josephus, Antiquities 9:227). The exact location is unknown; the inscription itself was brought, without noting its place of origin, to the Russian Church on the Mount of Olives during the nineteenth century. In 1968, the Israel Museum purchased the stone, which is still displayed at the museum. (Udd, K. J. Funerary Inscriptions of Ancient Palestine. The Lexham Bible Dictionary)
This important artifact is housed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
Dothan is mentioned twice in the Bible, once as the site where Joseph was sold by his brothers, and again in the days of Elisha, in the context of Syrian raids into Israel.
Dothan, in today’s West Bank. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Our earlier article describing the account of Joseph’s being sold at this site by his jealous brother, may be accessed here. That event transpired in the days of the Patriarch.
2 Kings 6 takes place at a later biblical period, that of the Divided Kingdom. When the king of Syria, Ben-hadad II, was waring against Israel, Elisha the man of God repeated sent word to the king of Israel (Joram), warning him of Ben-hadad’s whereabouts. When a Syrian soldier revealed this information to the king, when he was further informed, “Behold, he is in Dothan” he immediately sent “horses, and chariots, and a great host” which surrounded Dothan (vv. 8-14).
Elisha’s servant was scared out of his wits when he saw that sight, but Elisha was unperturbed. “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17).
The text goes on to narrate how the Syrian army was temporarily struck with blindness and was led into the city of Samaria. There, instead of being slaughtered, they were fed and released. The power and glory of YAHWEH was thus displayed.
Dothan was excavated by J.A. Free. The New Bible Dictionary has the following info:
DOTHAN. The fertile plain of Dothan separates the hills of Samaria from the Carmel range. It provides an easy pass for travellers from Bethshan and Gilead on their way to Egypt. This was the route of the Ishmaelites who carried Joseph into Egypt. The good pasturage had attracted Jacob’s sons from Shechem, 32 km to the S. Near the town (now tell dōṯā) are rectangular cisterns about 3 m deep similar to the pit into which Joseph was put (Gn. 37:17ff.). Elisha led the Syrian force, which had been sent to capture him, along the hill road to Samaria, 16 km S. His servant was encouraged by a vision of heavenly forces arrayed on the hill to the E of the town (2 Ki. 6:13–23). Excavations (1953–60) revealed a walled city of the Early and Middle Bronze Ages, and a Late Bronze Age settlement apparently using the older city wall. Thothmes III lists Dothan among his conquests (c. 1480 BC). It was probably one of the towns which was absorbed by the Israelites, but not actually conquered (cf. Jdg. 1:27). Areas of the Iron Age town which have been cleared show the narrow streets and small houses with storage-pits and bread-ovens of Elisha’s day. Among the finds are fifteen pieces of silver in a pottery box representing an individual’s savings. There was also settlement in the Assyrian and Hellenistic periods (cf. Judith 4:6; 7:3). (3rd ed., p. 281).
2 Kings 2 records the ascension of Elijah, the geographical setting mentions several sites, including Jericho. There is so much biblical history associated with this ancient city. In preparing for a Zoom study on this text, my mind went back to some visits to this location, and photos we have taken. We have often included Jericho on our tours of Israel. While we emphasize biblical study on such tours, that doesn’t mean there is no fun allowed. And really I can’t be expected to be responsible for the behavior of all my tour members 🙂 And on further reflection perhaps the title here should be, “Being Kissed by the Camel.”
Light-hearted moment at Old Testament Jericho. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
To see other posts on Jericho, type “Jericho” in the search box on this page.
Judah’s King Jehoshaphat (r. 873-848) faced an invasion by a coalition of forces from Moab and Ammon and others (2 Chron. 20:1). The text states: “Messengers arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, “A huge army is attacking you from the other side of the Dead Sea, from the direction of Edom. Look, they are in Hazezon Tamar (that is, En Gedi)” (v.2, NET). This location is on the western shore of the Dead Sea, so the enemy was already in Judah’s territory. The text will go on to narrate a great victory which YHWH granted because His people relied upon Him (see the remainder of 2 Chron. 20).
Hazazon Tamar, En Gedi in southern Israel. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
One of the fresh water falls at En Gedi. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Photos like these help us to better visualize our text.
I’m currently teaching a class (homeschool) on the Judges. Visuals can help provided the setting for biblical events. Samson was born in Zorah (Judges 13:2ff.). Beth-Shemesh is in the foreground in our photo. Zorah can be seen in the distant right at the break in the tree line.
Biblical Beth-Shemesh in foreground; Zorah at far distant right. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
The Revised ISBE has the following info on Zorah:
A city in the Shephelah; the home of Manoah the father of Samson (Jgs. 13:2). Zorah (modern Ṣarʿah) was located in the northernmost district of the Shephelah, 2.5 km (1 1/2 mi) W of Eshtaol (Eshwaʿ) and 6 km (4 mi) S of Latrun. Overlooking the valley of Sorek (Wâdī eṣ-Ṣarâr), it was important to the defense of Judah throughout the history of Israel. Zorah, originally a Canaanite city, is mentioned in the Amarna Letters as one of the cities ruled by the king of Gezer (LBHG [rev ed 1979], p. 174).
According to Josh. 15:33 Zorah was allotted to Judah when the Israelites invaded Canaan. Apparently, however, it was assigned first to the tribe of DAN (Josh. 19:41), which encountered stiff opposition from the Amorites (and later the Philistines) when it attempted to occupy the region (Jgs. 1:34f.). The story of Samson, a Danite born in Zorah, is set in this region (13:2, 24f.). After struggling his entire life against the Philistines, Samson was buried in the city of his birth (16:31). Eventually the Danites decided to migrate north, and they sent out spies from Zorah to survey the land (18:2, 8, 11). Centuries later, Rehoboam fortified Zorah as part of Judah’s western line of defense (2 Ch. 11:10). This line of fortresses served as an effective defense system for Judah in several wars during the next two or three generations (LBHG [rev ed 1979], pp. 330–33). When the Jews returned from exile in Babylon they occupied the site once again. Even the Crusaders found it an important site for their campaigns in Palestine. Located 335 m (1100 ft) above sea level and 244 m (800 ft) above the valley of Sorek, Zorah (Arab Ṣarʿah) has retained its strategic value throughout the centuries.
(J. E. MCKENNA McKenna, J. E. (1979–1988). Zorah. In G. W. Bromiley (Ed.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Vol. 4, pp. 1210–1211). Wm. B. Eerdmans.)
Israel repeatedly murmured when the LORD was taking them from Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan. After all the mighty works of Yahweh they had witnessed, the Ten Plagues by which they were delivered from Egyptian Bondage, hearing the voice of God at Sinai, receiving the Law and its ordinances, and being led by the Cloud by day, and the Pillar of Fire by night, He fed them with “bread from heaven,” they still in their unbelief murmured: “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna” (Num. 11:5-6).
Fresh Fish in Alexandria, Egypt. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Fresh Fish in Local Restaurant in Alexandria, Egypt. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
From an article I wrote in August 2012:
Memory is an amazing thing. I view it as a gift from God. One of the saddest events imaginable is for one to lose his memory, his ability to remember and recall life’s experiences, what one has learned, etc.
The ability to learn God’s word and apply it to life’s circumstances is a blessing. For that reason I encourage especially young people to spend much time in memorization of God’s word.
If one does not incline his heart Godward, memory can be amazingly quirky. When the nation of Israel was yet in Egypt, all they could think about was their harsh treatment meted out by cruel taskmasters. In their affliction they cried out to God.
God brought them out of Egypt after a mighty display of His power with the 10 plagues, referenced by God Himself as judgments against the gods of Egypt (Exodus 6:6; 12:12). They crossed the Red Sea, and made their way to Sinai, where they encamped for 11 months. During this time they received the Ten Commandments (along with its other laws), built the tabernacle, and consecrated the Aaronic priesthood (Ex. 19-Num. 10).
God was mindful of His covenant with Abraham; at that point it was time to grant Israel possession of the promised land of Canaan. At His command and direction Israel began to march (Num. 10:11ff). But immediately they lost sight of God’s lofty purpose with them and began to murmur (Num. 11:1).
One such instance of murmuring is in the text we referenced above: “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!'” (Num. 11:4-6).
Talk about selective memory! Talk about rewriting history! The New Testament identified the problem as a lack of faith (Heb. 3-4). Stephen showed that the heart of the problem was a problem of the heart: “in their hearts they turned back to Egypt” (Acts 7:39).
Jokneam was a strategic city-state of Canaan, located on the ancient international route which connected Egypt to Mesopotamia. It is listed among 31 other cities defeated by Joshua during the conquest of Canaan (Josh. 12:22).
Tel Jokneam. Mentioned in Joshua 12:22, taken during the Conquest. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Jokneam is
a large mound rising above the surrounding plain and covering an area of 10 a., is situated at a point along the abutment of Mount Carmel and the Jezreel Valley, near the debouchment of Nahal Yoqne‘am (map reference 1604.2289) and at the northern outlet of Wadi Milh (Nahal Tut), on one of the major routes cutting across the Carmel Range. Via the Coastal Plain, the route passes close to Acco and then runs toward Phoenicia and other centers to its northwest. Of the three major cities located in the western Jezreel Valley in antiquity—Jokneam, Shimron, and Megiddo—Jokneam was the smallest. It was continuously inhabited for an extremely long time: the survey conducted here, as part of a regional research project—the “Yoqneam Regional Project”—furnished evidence of a settlement on the mound from the Early Bronze Age to the Mameluke period, a span of nearly four thousand years, although the site was not fully occupied in all these periods. During the Arab and Crusader periods, Jokneam was the largest and most important center in the western Jezreel Valley. During the Roman period, the occupational sequence may have been interrupted, with the inhabitants moving to the nearby hill where modern Yoqne‘am ‘Illit is situated. The favorable environmental conditions prevailing in the Jezreel Valley made it a very densely populated region throughout most periods. Sites such as Tel Qiri, about 2 km (1 mi.) south of Jokneam, and Tel Qashish, some 2 km to its north, were undoubtedly satellite settlements linked to the major city of Jokneam. This region thus provides an opportunity to investigate the material cultural aspect of the relationship between a city and its satellite towns, through simultaneous excavations at the three adjacent sites. (Ben-Tor, A. (1993). Jokneam. In E. Stern (Ed.), The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land (Vol. 3, p. 805). Israel Exploration Society & Carta; Simon & Schuster).
I had seen Jokneam from the viewpoint of Mt. Carmel in the photo above a number of times. Then in 2022 Ferrell Jenkins and I were able to explore it more closely on one of our personal study trips.
Jokneam at center. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Here is a view of the Valley of Jezreel as seen from Jokneam:
Valley of Jezreel as viewed from Jokneam. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Posted by Leon Mauldin 
leonmauldin.blog 