So as a continuation of the previous post of Jacobs Journeys through the Promised Lands, we have come to the 3 next locations he frequented. These will come all in succession and continued, from the last location of the previous post, being Haran or in the vicinity of Harare in what we call today Zimbabwe, or a little further east likely on the banks of the Zambezi or its tributaries (Belik/Euphrates).
Now another interesting and important location is Mizpah. Now as Jacob secretly left Haran, as his in-laws were jealous of his wealth and had in mind to take revenge. As the story goes Rachel took Laban's gold, and he was needless to say less than pleased upon discovering this and followed them down to the area of Mizpah, where SoNiNi intervened for Jacob, and a peace treaty was made between them (Genesis 31,1-55).
Now Mizpah would have been symbolised by large ruin of stones (with SoNiNi as a witness) we have this discussed before, it kinda means watchtower, but English is poor so lets try the Sotho. Tora ya Tebolo (Tora, means crown or something high up) Tebelo means something that you looking forward to (Watchtower can also be Molula). Mizpah as a location seems to be in the Abarim Range in what is today called the South African province of Limpopo, and Mount Nebo were Moses is resting, would also be close in these areas. Please see previous article for more information on Nebo and Mispah. The Ark of The Covenant would be close to these areas as Jeremiah hid it in a cave in the mountain Range of Abarim (Northern Drakensberg). It remains there to this day! So anyone up in Mispah area of Limpopo, pray and see if SoNiNi wants the Ark to be found? That artefact will turn some heads.
Now Jacob fled from Haran to Mispah, which would be from ancient Mesopotamia (or Monomopata the lands between the Two Rivers of Euphrates, the Zambezi and Tigre, the Congo) as Haran was outside from what was considered the Borders of the Land of the 12 Tribes. Although this location could have been further up, but we think it must be within reason for Jacob to be able to travel these distances. So we see that when Jacob then went back in towards the Promised Lands and into the areas of the plains of Moab, in South Africa and todays Provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Now this location is on a River called Tongwane, which could be the Jabbok River, as it does flow into the Orange River (River Jordan), but quite a while down. Or more likely the Jabbok is a stream from Limpopo, either way it still makes sense location-wise. The walk for Jacob is 500 miles, some 160 hours of brisk walking. Who knows how many weeks or months on horse or camel. A long trek also, but not as far as from Bethel to Haran. So we will be first to admit the Harare as Haran is quite possibly not the Biblically accurate location. Still, all things will edify towards the end goal.
Now we have previously written a more extensive article on Mispah, so people can go back and read that one for more information on Mispah and its creation and Biblical importance. But basically its a Pile of Stones (perhaps a CAIRN is a fitting English word), after a formed agreement and promise, a witness between SoNiNi and the two people in question. This was formed as a mark of territories, that either would not pass this place to visit one another to do wrong. Now modern Judaism has made this into something completely different, pendants in coin shapes. Trinkets really. Which was surely not the intent of this promise. Now here is the problem with Mizpah as one in Scripture, because just like Ramah, there are more than one. Lets go through them as they are found in our Bible. And another note, Jabbok River is a good candidate for being the River we know and call Limpopo River today, and it stretches far into the interior (Look article of Pishon).
Now for Mispahs we find in the Bible:
This first one in Limpopo holds its ground, and may be the one mentioned in Genesis 31,49, it is but one of the three names given to the pact made between Jacob and Laban. They built a cairn to represent this deal between the two men and SoNiNi. Now the site was said to be on the north side or eastern side of the Jabbok River (Limpopo?), a tributary to the River Jordan.
Mizpeh is mentioned as the name of the city where a judge called Jepthah lived (Judges 10,17 ; 11,40)
Another Mizpah, also said to be on the East side of the Jordan, was in Moab according to I Samuel 22,3. It was when David was being pursued by Saul, he took his parents to Mizpeh of Moab and left them in the hands of King Moab, while David himself went back to Judah. Now there are no less then 3 Mizpahs on the West side of the Jordan (Orange River). One of them located in the north of Galilee.
Now there are 3 Mizpahs on the West side of the Jordan River. One located in the North of Galilee, called land of Land of Mizpah in Joshua 11,3 and again Valley of Mizpeh in Joshua 11,8. These Mizpahs are said to be in the lands of the Hivities close by Hermon, and another Mizpah by the battle at the waters of Merom.
Another Mizpah was in the Lands of Judah (Joshua 15,38), close to the fortress of Lachish.
The most important Mizpah was located in the lands of Benjamin (Joshua 18,26), and close to here was said to be the Valley of Aijalon (I Samuel 7,13)
Now the location of Mispah, could also be wrong, and for it to fit perfectly with the next one, Machaneng (Mahanaiym), which is downstream the Limpopo River. Gibeon was said to be the only town between Mizpah and Gibeah. So, this location may be closer towards the border, just a little bit more north and towards places like Musina or along the Limpopo River.
Now another location on Jacobs route was Mahanaiym. Now it was at this location that a whole host of Angels came to comfort Jacob. It was also here that Jacob sent messengers before him to request peace from his brother Esau (Genesis 32,1-5):
1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of SoNiNi met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of SoNiNi!” So he named that place Mahanaim. 3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”
We will be first to admit that this one is more tricky, the easy part is just following the River Jabbok (Limpopo), which was a tributary to Jordan, but do we go East or West? So the location then becomes difficult, especially since the next one is also not certain for us, that being Peniel. However, we do know that Peniel (or Penuel) would be towards Gibeon, which we believe is still likely to be in Namibia (meteors is after all compelling evidence and hard to falsify, see our article on Meteorites at Gibeon). Therefore Mahanaim would perhaps have been on the way there, towards Gibeon and Beersheba. And we are still on one of the Jordan tributaries, being the Jabbok. Because just over the South Africa border in the land of Botswana, you will find the place of Machaneng, the similarity of name is definitely there, and it is also along a tributary to the Jordan. In the Bible this town was on the border of Manasseh and Gad (Joshua 13,26-30).
Now at this location, a host of Angels came to comfort Jacob, the same place is where Jacob sent messengers ahead, as we mentioned to make peace with his brother Esau (Genesis 32). Now this area was called Yabesh-Gilead and was said to be beyond the Jordan. When the Bible says beyond the Jordan, we interpret this as being on the Eastern side of the Jordan. Now Mahanaim occurs in Genesis, where Jacob returned from Padan-aram to the south of Kanaan, and saw the Angel. This place is often referred to as SoNiNis camp, as the Hebrew it would have a meaning of two camps or the Camp of Company. Later this is where Jacob fears Esau who is following him. Hence the name two hosts.
Now according to Joshua and I Chronicles (I Chronicles 6,80) this city became a Levitical one, and it would have been in the southern boundary of a country called Bashan until Joshua's conquest (Joshua 13,26-30). More Biblical landmark references in Scripture is the fact that Sauls son, Ish-Bosheth, was established in Mahanaiym as King of Isreal (II Samuel 2,8). Furthermore, David fled here while at war with Absalom, arriving at Mahanaiym (II Samuel 17,24).
So by all accounts, this location was across the Jordan, on the border between The Tribe of Gad (Joshua 13,26) and Manasseh (Joshua 13,30). This will prove valuable to know for later research. So what do you think, is Mahanaiym close to or in the vicinity of the small village of Machaneng in Botswana?
Now the last location in this article, we will find on the way from Mahanaiym to Penuel, which was also said to be on the Jabbok River, east of the Jordan but south of Jabbok. The place where Jacob wrestled with an Angel (I Chronicles 8,25). If we go into other sources (I Kings) it says that it was Jeroboams capital for the Northern Kingdom. Which indeed would place it in the vicinity of Mahanayim and guess what, Bethlehem. And, it may be we have found another candidate for being the Biblical Bethlehem, and it would be some distance away from the one we know in Free State, not far from Lesotho. Now, back to Peniel and the name was given by Jacob, for he said in Genesis 32,30:
"It is because I saw the face of SoNiNi, and yet my life was spared."
Not even Moses saw the Old Ones face, but Jacob claimed he did. And lived to tell the tale. Peniel means face of SoNiNi, PEN - NIH - EL. So a name like Penny would in old ancient African Hebrew, mean the Face of God. Pen - meaning face, and then we have Nih being a derivative of SoNiNi, and El being the Babylonian title for God or Baal. More etymological research is needed though.
Now back to Jacob and his travels, it says he stayed at the brook Jabbok near Peniel or Penuel that night. And he was told that Esau was closing in on him (Genesis 32,6-8), with some 400 men. Imagine that as your entourage. Now this location was said to be close to Succoth, which would be close to Goshen, which was said to be in the lands of Egypt back in the day. Now this tells us that either, we are wrong on many locations here, or Egypt really was very much dominant in the Central African areas as well. Not only pyramids and buildings, remember it was a culture and way of life. Such culture and ways of life, and beliefs, can be found in parts of Zambia still vibrant today. Not all monuments have survived from the real ancient Egypt, if one dares to look into ancient Egyptian history, you will see that there were many Egyptian dynasties and the Empire itself was vast. Not sand and Pyramids, and old statues... There may yet be bigger misunderstandings here about ancient history.
Now Jacob at Peniel, seeing that Esau was closing in, prayed for help (Genesis 32,9-12) there he left gifts for Esau hoping it would curb him, which it did. And he did not want to harm his brother (Genesis 33,1-16).
Now it was the struggle with the Angel that gave Jacob his new name, because (Genesis 32,30):
It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.
Hence the name, the one of the ones who struggle with SoniNi. Now if we read Judges we will find mentions of Peniel as the place where the men (natives there) refused to give bread to Gibeon and his 300 men in pursuit of the Midianites (Judges 8,1-21). Gibeons reaction to this, well you can read it for yourself...
Now King Jeroboam established a Capital at Shechem (Seeheim we are getting to this one after Bethlehem and Hebron coming up next), which according to our research may not be far from here at all. Then he left Shechem and fortified Peniel and declared it a new Capital, still in the Northern Kingdom (I Kings 12,25). Now Jeroboams son, Nadab, ruled from Peniel until Basha took the throne and again moved the Capital to Tirzah (I Kings 15,25-34). So remember ALL these places were said to be in the North, Penuel, Shechem and Bethel. And within relative proximity to one another.
There is another quote, kinda like Dan to Beersheba, that we find several places in the Bible, we will make an article out of it when we are more certain of on location mentioned there, being Arnon.
The quote goes something like this, from Arnon to the Jabbok (Numbers 21,24):
24 Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only as far as the Ammonites, because their border was fortified.
This we think describes lands inside the Promised Lands. There is Another one in Deuteronomy 2,37:
37 But in accordance with the command of SoNiNi naNiNi, you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites, neither the land along the course of the Jabbok nor that around the towns in the hills.
And another one in Deuteronomy 3,16:
16 But to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory extending from Gilead down to the Arnon Gorge (the middle of the gorge being the border) and out to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. 17 Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah, from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.
This one seems to denote that where the Jabbok is, the Ammonites would be on the other side. And we see that Reuben was given Gilead to the Valley of Arnon. Furthermore, the western border is a tributary of the River Jordan in Arabah, and we have the Dead Sea somewhere in there as well, on the slopes of Pisgah.
Here follow some verses from Joshua and Judges that all talk about Jabbok, some call it a River others call it a mere stream. Either way, we believe Limpopo River is a good candidate for being the Jabbok.
Joshua 12,2:
2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. He ruled from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge - from the middle of the gorge - to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. This included half of Gilead.
Judges 11,13:
13 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”
And again later in the same Chapter in Judges 11,21-22:
21 “Then SoNiNi, The Mighty One of Israel, gave Sihon and his whole army into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, 22 capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan.
Comments