ARABAH

The Hebrews used the word arabah to denote semi-desert land. In particular they used the word as a name for that deep, hot and dry valley that ran north-south from the Sea of Galilee to the Gulf of Aqabah (the north-eastern arm of the Red Sea) (Deut 1:1; 2:8; 4:49; Josh 11:2; 18:18-19). The Dead Sea, which was the deepest part of this long valley, was known as the Sea of the Arabah (Deut 3:17). (For details see PALESTINE, sub-heading Arabah’.)