En-rogel, a spring near Jerusalem, was the site of Adonijah's attempt to become king and later served as a meeting place for David's supporters.
Also known as En Rogel · Stone of Zoheleth · Serpent's Stone
En-rogel, also known as the Stone of Zoheleth, was a spring located near Jerusalem, on the border between the territories of Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:7; 18:16). It played a significant role in two events related to the succession of King David's throne.
First, Adonijah, one of David's sons, attempted to establish himself as king at En-rogel without David's knowledge or consent (1Ki.1.9). Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Stone of Zoheleth, which was near En-rogel, and invited his brothers and the king's officials to support his claim to the throne. However, his attempt was thwarted when the prophet Nathan and Bathsheba informed David of the situation, leading to Solomon being anointed as king (1Ki.1.11-40).
Later, during Absalom's rebellion against David, En-rogel served as a meeting place for David's supporters, Jonathan and Ahimaaz (2Sa.17.17). They would bring information from the city to David, who had fled from Jerusalem. A servant girl would go and tell them the information, and they would then go and tell King David, to avoid being seen entering the city.
The name En-rogel means "spring of the fuller" or "fountain of the treader," possibly referring to the presence of a water source used for washing or treading clothes. Its exact location is debated, but it is believed to be either the modern-day Bir Ayub (Job's Well) or the Virgin's Spring (Gihon Spring) in the Kidron Valley, south of the City of David.
Approximate location: 31.768, 35.234 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Fountain of the treaders; i.e., “foot-fountain;” also called the “fullers’ fountain,” because fullers here trod the clothes in water. It has been identified with the “fountain of the virgin” (q.v.), the modern ‘Ain Ummel-Daraj. Others identify it, with perhaps some probability, with the Bir Eyub, to the south of the Pool of Siloam, and below the junction of the valleys of Kidron and Hinnom. (See FOUNTAIN.) It was at this fountain that Jonathan and Ahimaaz lay hid after the flight of David (2 Sam. 17:17); and here also Adonijah held the feast when he aspired to the throne of his father (1 Kings 1:9). The Bir Eyub, or “Joab’s well,” “is a singular work of ancient enterprise. The shaft sunk through the solid rock in the bed of the Kidron is 125 feet deep...The water is pure and entirely sweet, quite different from that of Siloam; which proves that there is no connection between them.” Thomson’s Land and the Book.
the fuller's fountain; the well of searching
EN-RO'GEL (fountain of the fuller), a spring not far from Jerusalem. Josh 15:7; Josh 18:16; 2 Sam 17:17, 2 Sam 17:21; 1 Kgs 1:9. Some place it at the "well of Joab," in the valley of Hinnom. M. Ganneau would identify it with the Fountain of the Virgin. See Jerusalem.
EN-RO'GEL (fountain of the fuller), a spring not far from Jerusalem. Josh 15:7; Josh 18:16; 2 Sam 17:17, 2 Sam 17:21; 1 Kgs 1:9. Some place it at the "well of Joab," in the valley of Hinnom. M. Ganneau would identify it with the Fountain of the Virgin. See Jerusalem.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
4 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5883
Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and came out at En-rogel.
Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the southern slope of the Jebusites and downward to En-rogel.
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, for they dared not be seen entering the city.
And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah who were servants of the king.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.