Places in the Bible Today:

Zophim

Data

Translated NamesLookout Field, Zophim
Typenatural area
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

2 Possible Identifications

  1. Tila as Safa (modern): 50% confidence

    1. satellite view of the region around Tila as SafaTila as Safa

  2. on Pisgah (ancient): 45% confidence. It may be:

    1. panorama of ruins at Rujm Siyaghahon Rujm Siyaghah

    2. panorama of Jabal al Nabaon Jabal al Naba

    3. panorama looking east at mountains of Abarimin Abarim

    4. building at Jebel Oshaon Jebel Osha

Verses (1)

Num 23:14

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Logos FactbookZophim
OpenBible.info (2007)Zophim
OpenBible.infoae7f7b5 (Zophim)
TIPNRZophim@Num.23.14
WikipediaList of biblical names starting with Z (nonunique url)

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Zophim (place)
  2. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): Zophim
  3. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): Zophim
  4. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Zophim
  5. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  6. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Zophim
  7. Lexham Bible Dictionary (2016): Zophim
  8. New Bible Dictionary (1996): Zophim
  9. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  10. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988): Zophim
  11. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001): Zophim
  12. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Zophim
  13. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  14. 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.

Thumbnail Image Credits

Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019, Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Raya Sharbain, Guillaume Baviere, Bilal Dweik

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.

The isobands you see on the map (gray areas with dark borders) attempt to give you confidence where a region is. Because many ancient regions aren't precisely defined, I consulted atlases to determine where the biblical region is located and used that data to build the isobands. The smaller isobands reflect more confidence that the given isoband is in the region, while the larger isobands reflect less confidence. Isobands are a kind of contour line that here indicate confidence levels.