Atlas  Rezeph and surrounding area
Maps Created using Biblemapper 3.0Additional data from OpenBible.infoOccurrences 2 Kings 19:12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar? Isaiah 37:12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar? Encyclopedia REZEPHre'-zef (retseph;
1. Forms of the Name:
Codex Vaticanus Rhapheis; Rhaphes; Codex Alexandrinus ten Rhapheth (2 Kings 19:12), B Q margin Rhapheth Codex Sinaiticus Q Rhafes; Codex Alexandrinus Rhapheis (Isaiah 37:12); Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Roseph (2 Kings 19:12), Reseph (Isaiah 37:12)): One of the places referred to by Sennacherib's Rabshakeh when delivering that king's message to Hezekigh demanding the surrender of Jerusalem. The names which precede are Gozan and Haran; and "the children of Eden that were Telassar" follows.
2. Now Called Rucafa:
It is now represented by Rucafa, East of Tipsah and Northeast of Hamath, and is regarded as the (Rhesapha) of Ptolemy (v.15). It was for some time under Assyrian dominion, and appears in a geographical list (2 R 53, 37a) preceded by Arrapba (Arrapachitis) and Halabbu (Halah), and followed by Tamnunu, uder the form of Rasappa (elsewhere Racapi).
3. Its Assyrian Governors:
From the Eponym Canons, Ninip-kibsi-ucur was, it appears, prefect in 839 B.C., Uras-eres from 804 to 775 B.C., Sin-sallimanni in 747, and Bel-emuranni in 737 B.C. Judging from their names, all these were Assyrians, but a seemingly native governor, Abda'u (or Abda'i), possibly later than the foregoina, is mentioned in a list of officials (K. 9921). Yabutu was sanu (deputy-governor?) of Rezeph in 673 B.C. Its mention in the Assyrian geographical lists implies that Rezeph was an important trade-center in Old Testament times.
T. G. Pinches
RE'ZEPH, this city of 2 Kings 19:12 was, very probably, at Rasapha, 20 ms. s. of the Euphrates, about 80 ms. n.n.e. from Tadmor, or Palmyra, but little is known of it. It is on the n. border of the desert. See map No. 2. Strong's Hebrew H7530: Retsepha place destroyed by Assyr. |
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