Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

First or representative mention.

Ammon                         Jordan                       Genesis 19:37-38                   

Arabia                          Arabia                       1 Kings 10:15; 2 Chronicles 1:14

Aram, Aramiyim         Syria                         1Chronicles 19:6; 2 Samuel 10:6-8                       

Assur/Asshur               Iran, Iraq                   Numerous mentions

Babylon                       Iraq                            Numerous mentions

Canaan                        Gaza Strip, Israel, Lebanon, West Bank   Numerous mentions

Damascus                    Syria                          Genesis 14:15

Ethiopia                       Ethiopia, Sudan         Genesis 2:13

Media                          Iran                             2 Kings 17:6

Pekod, Peqod             Iraq                             Jeremiah 50:21; Ezekiel 23:23

Togarmah                    Armenia, Turkiye, Turkestan  Ezekiel 38:6

Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

First or representative biblical mention.

Assyria                         Iraq                                                 Numerous mentions

Chaldea                       Iraq, Kuwait                                    Jeremiah 50:10; Ezekiel 11:24

Cush/Kush                  Ethiopia and Sudan                         Genesis 2:13

Edom                           Jordan                                             Genesis 25:30

Midian                         Jordan                                             Genesis 25:12-18

Mitzraim/Mizraim     Egypt                                              Genesis 12:10. Mitzraim  מִצְרַיִם is the Hebrew                                      word for Egypt. The English language word Egypt is derived from its Greek                                                 name aiγuptos. The modern Arabic name for the country is Misr مصر. 

Philistia                       Palestine                                         Joshua 13:3; Judges 16:5

Put                              Libya, North Africa, Egypt             Nahum 3:9

Rosh                           southern Russia                               Ezekiel 38:2,8

Scythia                       southern Russia, Ukraine                Ezekiel 38:1 

Religious Place Names

Lalibela, Ethiopia: This historical site is named for an Ethiopian Orthodox saint, King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela (ruled ca 1181 + 1221). The buildings are laid out to represent Jerusalem and each of the eleven churches is carved from a single rock.

Remlap, State of Alabama, United States: This community is named for a local family. Since there was already an existing community named "Palmer," the name was reversed to spell "Remlap."
The surname is of Old French ("paume" = "palm tree") by way of the Latin word "palmifer" which means a "palm bearer" or a "pilgrim." and the suffix "erius" which means "descendant of." This is in reference to a pilgrim to the Holy Lands who returned, bringing back palm branches.

Bubastis, Egypt: aka: Tell - Basta; Per-Bast; Pi-Beseth . This city is mentioned in Ezekiel 30:17 as Pi-Beseth. It was a center of worship for the feline Egyptian goddess named Bast or Bastet, Numerous mummies of cats have been found at the site.

Touba, Senegal: "Tuba" is the Arabic word for "felicity" or "bliss." This is in reference to the sweet pleasures of eternal life in the Islamic afterlife paradise. The word also refers to closeness to Allah.

Nymph, State of Alabama, United States: Nymph is an unincorporated community in Conecuh County. In classical mythology, a nymph was an animating or maintaining nature spirit who appeared as a beautiful maiden and lived in the woods and rivers.

Why Isaiah Preached in the Nude for Three Years

Isaiah 20:1-4  “In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it, at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet." And he did so, going naked and barefoot. And the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.” (The year spoken of in verse one is 711 BC.)

The Israelites feared attack by the mighty Assyrian Empire led by King Sargon and allied themselves with Egypt and Ethiopia instead of depending on God for their protection. For three years* Isaiah preached in a completely naked state to show to the Israelites that the Egyptians and Ethiopians would be carried away naked and barefoot by the Assyrians. They would be utterly humiliated and unable to defend themselves or Israel. 

*The number three occurs 467 times in the Bible. This number is believed by many Christians to be a reference to the Trinity. Three is the number of perfection or completion. To  repeat a word or idea sequentially is to emphasize it. In Isaiah 6:3 the Lord God Almighty is praised as “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Rene Joseph Letourneau: (b. 1929, Massachusetts, USA – d. 2013) Korean War veteran. Alabama Bowlers Hall of Fame. Roman Catholic.

John Brown: (b. 1763, Ireland – d. 1842) Presbyterian minister.  President of the University of Georgia (USA) from 18111-1816.

Johann Valentin Andreae: (b. 1586, Germany - d. 1654: aka: Johannes Valentinus Andeaea)  Author of Christianopolis (1619), a novel about a democratic utopian society governed by scholars and artisans.  He became interested in esoterics and the occult and was involved in the foundation of Rosicrucianism.

Zewditu I: (b. 1876, Ethiopia –d. 1930; aka: Askala Maryam; Queen of Kings) Daughter of Meneiik II of Ethiopia, Empress of Ethiopia 1916-1930.  She was known to be intensely devout. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo.

Angela Dorothea Kasner Merkel: (b. 1954, West Germany)  Chancellor of Germany 1994-1998.  Lutheran.

Amharic Gospel Singer Samuel T. Michael

Samuel T. Michael, popularly known as Sami, is an Ethiopian gospel music singer singing in Amharic.  This song is "Melkam Neh."  I have been unable to find a translation of the lyrics but the song is about the love of God for us in the womb and even before we are in the womb.

Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.

And a beautiful worship song by a singer named Awtaru Kebede.

“Udelsam” on You Tube has provided this translation of the lyrics:

“You are mine to me, 

my pride, my fortress, 

it never discomforts me, 

carrying your cross on my shoulder,  

You shield me from the strength of

the burning sun, and thus 

I live my life free of worry.

When we try to describe how great You

are our God, 

words fail miserably 

and are incapable to grasp Your mightiness.

Above our Earth and below our Earth, 

God you are great, and therefore I praise

You day and night.

You are so good to Your children 

God almighty!!!!”

Constantine Was Not the First?

The conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity in 380 is considered to be one of the watershed moments in Western history.  It may surprise you to learn that Constantine was not the first Christian ruler, or the second, or even the third.  Those places of honor belong to King Tiridates of Armenia, who in 301 declared Christianity to be the country's state religion; the number two position belongs to King Mirian III of Georgia, who, in 319, declared his country to be Christian; followed by Queen Sofya of Ethiopia in 325, converted by her son's Christian tutor, Frumentius.  Sofya's sons Ezana and Se'azana both became Christians.  Ezana ruled as a Christian king.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Richard Christopher Wakeman: (b. 1949, England) Keyboradist in the following musical genres: rock, pop, electronica, jazz fusion, classical, and Christian.  He is most well known as the keyboardist for the near-legendary rock book Yes.  He studied at the Royal College of Music.

Matthew: (fl. 1^st century – d. 60; believed to be also known as levi, son of Alphaeus, and the writer of The Gospel According to Matthew)  Matthew was one of the first twelve apostles, the original inner circle of Jesus Christ.  He was a customs collector at Capernaum (Kepher Nahum, Israel).  Matthew 9:9, 10:3; Mark 2:14, 3:18; Luke 5:27, 6:15; Acts 1:13.  Tradition says that Matthew was killed by an axe in 60 AD/CE near Hierapolis, Ethiopia.

Fred McFeely Rogers: (b. 1928, Pennsylvania, USA – d. 2003) Educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, children’s television host, author.  He hosted mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (1968-2001) on the Public Broadcasting System (USA).  Mr. Roger's middle name was the source of the character, Mr. McFeely, on the television show.  Roger's trademark sweater from the television program is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Gabriel Leon M’ba: (b. 1902, Gabon – d. 1967) First Prime Minister (1959-1961) and first President of Gabon (1961-1967). Roman Catholic.  His brother was the first Roman Catholic priest in Gabon.

John Brown: (b. ca 1940, Jamaica; aka: The Jesus Man) Brown came to the United States in 1963.  He is a weekly street preacher in Birmingham, Alabama (USA) on the side of a busy highway.  One of his many signs says, “Honk if you know Jesus, pull over if you don’t.”  Brown has not missed a Saturday in over ten years, regardless of the weather or his health.  “The grass is my carpet, the streets are my walls, and the wind is my air conditioner … It’s about holy boldness – it comes form fasting and prayer.”

AOH Church of God places its headquarters in Center Point, Alabama

The Apostolic Overcoming Holy Church of God is a Pentecostal denomination founded in 1916 in Mobile, Alabama as the Ethiopian Overcoming Church of God in Mobile, Alabama by Bishop W.T. Phillips.  In 1941, the name was changed to become more inclusive.  While primarily black, the denomination has members of other races.  The membership numbers about 50,000 people in the United States and Africa.

This week the AOH church purchased the property of the former Cathedral of the Cross in Center Point, Alabama and plans to locate its international headquarters there.  The main sanctuary of the site can host  meeting groups of up to 6000 persons and will be adequate for the annual Pentecostal celebration held by the denomination.

An Ethiopian/Eritrean Christian Song

This is an Ethiopian/Eritrean Christian song.  I'm not sure, but I believe that the lead singer is named Sara Chaka and that the language is Tigrinya/Tigringa rather than Amharic.  I do not know the title of the song.

Hello, Ethiopia!

Update on 4 July 2026: The number of countries is now 152.

Hello,  Ethiopia.  Welcome to the group of readers from fifty other countries who also visit this blog.  I hope you find some of the posts useful or meaningful.

The “Translate This Page” gadget directly above the “Total Pageviews” Counter has the capability of translating the English text of this blog directly into Arabic.   I apologize, but I do not have the capability of translation into or from Amharic.

مرحبا ، إثيوبيا. مرحبا بكم في مجموعة من القراء من البلدان الأخرى أيضا الخمسين الذين يزورون هذا بلوق. وآمل أن تجد بعض من وظائف مفيدة أو ذات مغزى.
"ترجم هذه الصفحة" أداة مباشرة فوق "عرض صفحة المجموع" كاونتر لديها القدرة على ترجمة النص الانكليزي من هذا بلوق مباشرة إلى اللغة العربية. أعتذر ، لكنني لم يكن لديك القدرة على ترجمة أو من الأمهرية.

Where is the Ark of the Covenant?

A group of Torah-believing Christians in Arum, Ethiopia say that the Ark of the Covenant is safely held in their town where it has been guarded by a succession of individual virgin monks since the time of Solomon, who was King of Israel ca 973 - ca 933 BCE.

The Kings of Ethiopia all the way up to the last, Haile Selassie, claimed descent from Menelek, the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The legend is that when Menelek went to Judah to visit his father, he returned with several prominent Israelites who secretly brought the Ark with them. When Menelek discovered that the Ark was in Ethiopia and that God had not struck him dead, he decided that God wanted him to protect it.

Torah-believing Christians use the first five books of the Bible (the Torah) as their primary scriptures and have a strongly Old Testament based theology. They view Jesus as the Messiah and follow the Old Testament dietary rules.

Birthday of Haile Selassi I

23 July 2009: The birthday of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia  is celebrated as a holiday in the Rastafarian religion.