Zobah
{{Short description|Early Aramean state mentioned in the Hebrew Bible}}
{{distinguish|Zoba}}
Zobah or Aram-Zobah ({{Langx|he|אֲרָם צוֹבָא|translit=ʾĂrām Ṣōḇāʾ}}) was an early Aramean state and former vassal kingdom of Israel mentioned in the Hebrew Bible that extended northeast of David's realm according to the Hebrew Bible.
Alexander Kirkpatrick, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (1896), places it broadly between Damascus and the Euphrates.Kirkpatrick, A. F., [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/1_samuel/14.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 1 Samuel 14], accessed 26 July 2019 It is thought by some to have extended from the Beqaa Valley along the eastern side of the Anti-Lebanon mountains, reaching Hama to the north and Damascus to the south, making it at one time a state of considerable importance.{{sfn|Abousamra|2019|pp=234–236, 240}}
In the Hebrew Bible
In 1 Samuel 14:47, the kings of Zobah were said to have fought with the Israelite king Saul. Kirkpatrick suggests that "the 'kings' were independent chiefs", but by the time of David, there was a single king, Hadadezer bar Rehob. Later, King Hadadezer bar Rehob allied with Ammon against King David, who defeated Zobah and made the kingdom tributary to Israel ({{bibleverse|2 Samuel|10}}). In this war, Arameans from across the Euphrates came to Hadadezer's aid ({{bibleverse|2 Sam.|10:16}}). Upon the accession of Solomon, Zobah became independent of Israel (compare {{bibleverse|1 Kings|11:23}} et seq.).
The chapter-heading of Psalm 60 in the New King James Version refers to Zobah.{{bibleverse||Psalm|60|NKJV}}: NKJV In the Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible (Revised Edition), the reference is to Aram-Zobah.{{bibleverse||Psalm|60|RSV}}: RSV{{bibleverse||Psalm|60|NABRE}}: NABRE
In Mesopotamian sources
The earliest extrabiblical attestation of Zobah occurs in an Old Babylonian tablet unearthed at Mari (M. 5423) that describes the campaign of the troops of Mari, led by Išhî-Addu, king of Qaṭna, to the Beqaa Valley. The tablet describes the city of Ṣîbat (probably identical to biblical Zobah and the Neo-Assyrian city of Ṣubat) as among the cities conquered by the king's troops.{{sfn|Charpin|1998}}{{sfn|Abousamra|2019|pp=231, 236}}{{sfn|Na'aman|2022|pp=39–40}}
During the Neo-Assyrian period, Ṣubat is mentioned in the annals of Tiglath-Pileser III as the capital of a province following his conquests in the region. The Assyrian records also name two local governors: Šamaš-aḫu-iddina and Bēl-liqbi.{{sfn|Na'aman|2022|pp=41–42}}
Zobah is also attested as Ṣbh in Aramaic graffiti from the 8th century BC that were found in Hama.{{sfn|Lipiński|2000|p=319}}
Medieval Rabbinical sources
From the 11th century, it was common Rabbinic usage to apply the term "Aram-Zobah" to the area of Aleppo, and this is perpetuated by Syrian Jews to this day.[https://aleppojews.co.il/en/homeeng World Center for Aleppo (Halab) Jews Traditional Culture], המרכז העולמי למורשת יהדות ארם-צובא (הלב). However, Saadia Gaon (882‒942 CE), in his Judeo-Arabic translation (tafsīr) of the Psalms identified Aram-zobah with Nisibis.The Book of Psalms (with Rabbi Saadia Gaon's Translation and Commentary), editor: Yosef Qafih, Machon Moshe: 2nd edition, Jerusalem 2010, s.v. Psalm 60:2.
Identification attempts
Based on the biblical narrative, primarily from the Books of Kings and 2 Samuel, Berothai, a city belonging to Hadadezer ({{bibleverse|2 Sam.|8:8}}) is identified by many with Berothah ({{bibleverse|Ezekiel|47:16}}), which was between Hamath and Damascus.{{sfn|Jastrow, Jr.|Barton|1902|p=66}} Zobah was probably located near this city, though Joseph Halévy claims to have identified Zobah with Chalcis.{{sfn|Jastrow, Jr.|Barton|1902|p=66}} On the later view, the area in question would be found in the far north of Syria and parts of Turkey.{{dubious|This sentence describes a REGION. The topic here is the CITY. Is this sentence referring to the region where one should look for the CITY, or to the KINGDOM? If the latter: wrong place for that, plus: at what point in time? Mess.|date=August 2020}}{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}
Some sources indicate that Zobah city is the modern city of Homs in Syria,{{sfn|Porter|1868|p=308}} or Anjar in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.[http://www.subaa.com/chapterDetails.php?chapterID=25 كتاب صوبا - تاريخ وطن وحياة قرية {{in lang|ar}}]
According to Edward Lipiński, the location of the capital city of Ṣoba corresponds to the present archaeological site of Tell Deir in the Beqaa Valley of modern-day Lebanon.{{sfn|Lipiński|2000|p=327}} Gaby Abousamra connects Zobah with the modern-day village of Zabbud, also in Lebanon.{{sfn|Abousamra|2019|p=238}} Nadav Na'aman suggests Al-Qusayr north of Riblah as one possible candidate for the biblical city.{{sfn|Na'aman|2022|p=46}}
See also
- Aleppo Codex, Hebrew Bible manuscript called in Hebrew "Keter Aram-Zoba", meaning "Crown of Aleppo"
- Aram-Damascus, another Iron Age Aramean kingdom
- Hamath-zobah, biblical city
- Homs, city in Syria
References
{{reflist|2}}
Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last=Abousamra|first=Gaby|chapter=Biblical Ṣobah: A Location Attempt|title=Aramaean Borders: Defining Aramaean Territories in the 10th–8th Centuries B.C.E.|year=2019|location=Leiden-Boston|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-39853-5|editor-last1=Dušek|editor-first1=Jan|editor-last2=Mynářová|editor-first2=Jana|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1imVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA231}}
- {{cite journal |title=Toponymie Amorrite Et Toponymie Biblique: La Ville De Ṣîbat/Ṣobah |journal=Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale |last=Charpin |first=Dominique |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23282084 |volume=92 |issue=1 |pages=79–92 |author-link=Dominique Charpin |year=1998 |issn=0373-6032 |jstor=23282084}}
- {{cite Jewish Encyclopedia|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1703-aram-zobah|article=Aram-zobah|last1=Jastrow, Jr.|first1=Morris|last2=Barton|first2=George A.|volume=2}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFJastrow,_Jr.Barton1902}}
- {{cite book |last=Lipiński |first=Edward |author-link=Edward Lipiński (orientalist) |date=2000 |title=The Aramaeans: Their Ancient History, Culture, Religion |series=Orientalia Lovaniensia analecta |volume=100 |url= |location=Leuven, Belgium |publisher=Peeters Publishers |page= |isbn=978-9-042-90859-8 }}
- {{cite journal |title=The District of Ṣubat/Ṣupitu in the longue durée Perspective |journal=State Archives of Assyria Bulletin |last=Na'aman |first=Nadav |url=https://www.academia.edu/116343046 |volume=29 |pages=39–52 |author-link=Nadav Na'aman |year=2022 |issn=1120-4699}}
- {{cite book |last=Porter |first=Josias Leslie |author-link=Josias Leslie Porter |title=Giant Cities of Bashan; and Syria's Holy Places |publisher=T. Nelson and Sons |year=1868 }}
{{refend}}
{{Ancient states and regions of the Levant}}
{{coord missing|Syria}}