Places in the Bible Today:

El-paran

Data

Translated NamesEl-paran, El-Paran, El Paran
Typesisland, region, or settlement
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

5 Possible Identifications

  1. another name for Elath (ancient): 60% confidence. It may be:

    1. ruins at AqabaAqaba

    2. satellite view of the region around Tell el KheleifehTell el Kheleifeh

    3. panorama of Jezirat FaraunJezirat Faraun

    4. cityscape of EilatEilat

  2. Eilat (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. cityscape of EilatEilat

  3. Nekhel (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. historical cityscape of NekhelNekhel

  4. Ayl (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. satellite view of the region around AylAyl

  5. region northeast of the Gulf of Aqaba (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. panorama of hills in the region northeast of the Gulf of Aqabaregion northeast of the Gulf of Aqaba

Verses (1)

Gen 14:6

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Biblemapper.com383
Logos FactbookEl-Paran
OpenBible.info (2007)El-paran
OpenBible.infoa738bf1 (El-paran)
TIPNREl-paran@Gen.14.6
UBS Names Databaseot ID_189

Sources

  1. Aharoni, Land of the Bible (1979): page 434
  2. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): El-paran (place)
  3. Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (1990): Elath; Eloth; El-paran; Berenike; Aila
  4. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): El Paran
  5. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): El-paran
  6. Carta Bible Atlas, 5th Edition (2011)
  7. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (2008-2012): Gen 14:1-6
  8. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): El-Paran
  9. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): El-paran
  10. Hartley, Genesis (2000): 14:1-7
  11. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  12. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Paran
  13. New Bible Atlas (1985): El-paran
  14. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  15. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988): Elparan
  16. Tübingen Bible Atlas (2001): El Paran
  17. Waltke and Fredricks, Genesis (2001): 14:6
  18. Wenham, Genesis (1987, 1994): 14:6
  19. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  20. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)
  21. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (2009): Gen 14:5-7

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others (in this case, another name for Elath), then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Thumbnail Image Credits

Bel Adone, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019, Abdozaghloul, Tango7000, American Colony Jerusalem, Adeeb Atwan

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.