Chovah (Hobah)

חובה


Where the War of the Kings came to its conclusion with the victory of Av-Raham in Genesis 14.

Genesis 14:15 places it "on the left hand" of Damasek (Damascus), though whether that means Damascus' left (east), or ours as the looker (west) would have been a matter of cultural zeitgeist at the time of writing. I make this point because most commentators (Wikipedia for example, the Jewish Encyclopedia as well) reckon that Chovah was to the north of Damasek, which has surely to be an error, based on "left hand"? But modern Jobar is either two miles north-west of Damasek (Damascus), or a suburb on its northern fringes (click here to find out if it still is), and claims to be Biblical Chovah; and now imagine that you are standing on the north-east wall of Yeru-Shala'im, pointing towards Damasek in order to indicate the location of Chovah, and it is indeed on your left hand - of the city. Cultural zeitgeist, from an age before maps and compasses!

Judith 4:4 and 15:4 place it within Yisra-El at the time of Nebuchadnezzar II, but this does not preclude the Genesis geography from being correct, given that Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was Ashur (Assyria).

The word means "a hiding place".


Copyright © 2019 David Prashker
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The Argaman Press


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