Shihor-libnath was a place that marked the boundary of the territory allotted to the tribe of Asher (Josh. 19:26).
Also known as Shihor Libnath
Shihor-libnath is mentioned only once in the Bible, in the description of the territory allotted to the tribe of Asher (Josh. 19:26). It is listed as one of the boundary points, along with other towns and landmarks such as Helkath, Mount Carmel, and Dor. The exact location of Shihor-libnath is uncertain, but it was likely situated in the coastal region of northern Israel, near the Mediterranean Sea. The name "Shihor-libnath" may be derived from the Hebrew words "shihor" (black) and "libnath" (white), possibly referring to the contrast between the dark river and the white limestone cliffs in the area. Some scholars suggest that Shihor-libnath may be associated with the Crocodile River (modern-day Nahal Taninim) or the nearby town of Achzib. However, these identifications remain speculative due to the limited information provided in the biblical text.
Approximate location: 32.538, 34.908 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Black-white, a stream on the borders of Asher, probably the modern Nahr Zerka, i.e., the “crocodile brook,” or “blue river”, which rises in the Carmel range and enters the Mediterranean a little to the north of Caesarea (Josh. 19:26). Crocodiles are still found in the Zerka. Thomson suspects “that long ages ago some Egyptians, accustomed to worship this ugly creature, settled here (viz., at Caesarea), and brought their gods with them. Once here they would not easily be exterminated” (The Land and the Book).
SHI'HOR-LIB'NATH (black-white), a landmark of Asher. Josh 19:26. The term is usually supposed to refer to a river which formed the extreme point of the frontier toward the south, and must have included Dor. Probably the Zerka, or "Blue River," which runs into the Mediterranean south of Dor; but Conder suggests its identity with Wady Shagkur.
SHI'HOR-LIB'NATH (black-white), a landmark of Asher. Josh 19:26. The term is usually supposed to refer to a river which formed the extreme point of the frontier toward the south, and must have included Dor. Probably the Zerka, or "Blue River," which runs into the Mediterranean south of Dor; but Conder suggests its identity with Wady Shagkur.
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.
1 verse in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H7884
Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west the border touched Carmel and Shihor-libnath,
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.