Places in the Bible Today:

Azazel

Data

Translated NameAzazel
Typenatural area
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

2 Possible Identifications

  1. not a place (being, goat, or the idea of removal): 60% confidence
  2. not a proper name (wilderness area): 25% confidence

Verses (3)

Lev 16:8, 16:10, 16:26

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Logos FactbookAzazel
OpenBible.info (2007)Azazel
OpenBible.infoab9a5ec (Azazel)
WikipediaAzazel (partial)

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Azazel
  2. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): Azazel
  3. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): Azazel
  4. Expositor’s Bible Commentary (1984): Lev 16:1-10
  5. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Azazel
  6. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (2011): Azazel
  7. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003): Scapegoat
  8. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Azazel
  9. IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (2000): Lev 16:8
  10. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2014): Azazel
  11. New Bible Dictionary (1996)
  12. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  13. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988)
  14. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001): Azazel
  15. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Azazel
  16. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)
  17. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (2009): Lev 16:10

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, not a place (being, goat, or the idea of removal)), 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.

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.