Places in the Bible Today:

Sela 3

Data

Translated NameSela
Typesettlement
Notesmay be a different, unknown location farther north
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

4 Possible Identifications

  1. Sela (modern): 15% confidence

    1. gate at SelaSela

  2. Umm el Bayyara (modern): 15% confidence

    1. panorama of Umm el BayyaraUmm el Bayyara

  3. another name for Sela 1 (ancient): less than 10% confidence. It may be:

    1. aerial panorama of Ma’ale Akrabbimwithin 30 km of Ma’ale Akrabbim

    2. panorama of Umm el BayyaraUmm el Bayyara

    3. gate at SelaSela

    4. satellite view of the region around Jebel Umm al Aqaribwithin 30 km of Jebel Umm al Aqarib

  4. another name for Sela 2 (ancient): less than 10% confidence. It may be:

    1. panorama of Umm el BayyaraUmm el Bayyara

    2. gate at SelaSela

Verses (1)

Isa 16:1

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
OpenBible.info (2007)Sela
OpenBible.infoa6343cc (Sela 3)
TIPNRSela@Jdg.1.36
UBS Names Databaseot ID_2068

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992)
  2. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013)
  3. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Sela
  4. IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (2000): Isa 16:1
  5. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others, for example, then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Places with Similar Names

Thumbnail Image Credits

יעקב, David Stanley, אילן ארד, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.