Engedi (or Hazazon-tamar), an oasis in Judah where David sought refuge from Saul, also the site of Chedorlaomer's victory.
Also known as En-gedi · Hazazon-tamar · Hazezon Tamar · Hazezon-tamar
Engedi, also known as Hazazon-tamar, is an oasis located on the western shore of the Dead Sea, in the wilderness of Judah. It is mentioned several times in the Bible, often in the context of its strategic location and its lush vegetation.
During the time of Abraham, Engedi (then called Hazazon-tamar) was one of the places where Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and his allies defeated the Amorites before attacking Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 14:7; 2Ch.20.2).
Later, when David was fleeing from King Saul, he sought refuge in the strongholds of Engedi (1Sa.23.29). It was in the wilderness of Engedi that David had the opportunity to kill Saul but chose to spare his life, cutting off a corner of Saul's robe instead (1Sa.24.1-7).
The Song of Solomon mentions Engedi as a source of fragrant henna blossoms (Sng.1.14), testifying to its fertility and beauty. In Ezekiel's vision of the restored land of Israel, Engedi is mentioned as a place where fishermen will spread their nets, symbolizing abundance and prosperity (Ezk.47.10).
The name Engedi means "spring of the kid (young goat)" or "fountain of the goat," likely referring to the freshwater springs that make the area an oasis in the desert. Today, Engedi is a nature reserve in Israel, known for its hiking trails, waterfalls, and diverse flora and fauna.
Approximate location: 31.462, 35.392 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Fountain of the kid, place in the wilderness of Judah (Josh. 15:62), on the western shore of the Dead Sea (Ezek. 47:10), and nearly equidistant from both extremities. To the wilderness near this town David fled for fear of Saul (Josh. 15:62; 1 Sam. 23:29). It was at first called Hazezon-tamar (Gen. 14:7), a city of the Amorites. The vineyards of Engedi were celebrated in Solomon’s time (Cant. 1:4). It is the modern ‘Ain Jidy. The “fountain” from which it derives its name rises on the mountain side about 600 feet above the sea, and in its rapid descent spreads luxuriance all around it. Along its banks the osher grows abundantly. That shrub is thus described by Porter: “The stem is stout, measuring sometimes nearly a foot in diameter, and the plant grows to the height of 15 feet or more. It has a grayish bark and long oval leaves, which when broken off discharge a milky fluid. The fruit resembles an apple, and hangs in clusters of two or three. When ripe it is of a rich yellow colour, but on being pressed it explodes like a puff-ball. It is chiefly filled with air...This is the so-called ‘apple of Sodom.’” Through Samaria, etc. (See APPLE.)
(fount of the kid), a town in the wilderness of Judah, (Joshua 15:62) on the western shore of the Dead Sea. (Ezekiel 47:10) Its original name was Hazezon-tamar, on account of the palm groves which surrounded it. (2 Chronicles 20:2) Its site is about the middle of the western shore of the lake, at the fountain of Ain Jidy, from which the place gets its name. It was immediately after an assault upon the “Amorites that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar,” that the five Mesopotamian kings were attacked by the rulers of the plain of Sodom. (Genesis 14:7) comp. 2Chr 20:2 Saul was told that David was in the “wilderness of Engedi;” and he took “three thousand men, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. ” (1 Samuel 24:1-4) The vineyards of Engedi were celebrated by Solomon. (Song of Solomon 1:14)
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.
7 verses in 6 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5872
Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six cities, along with their villages.
And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.
After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”
Then some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the Sea; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).
My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi.
Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.
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.