Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical geography and terminology, a "ridge" refers to a raised or elevated strip of land, often forming a natural boundary or a line of separation between different areas. While the term "ridge" itself is not frequently used in most English translations of the Bible, the concept is present in various passages that describe the topography of the ancient Near East, particularly in the context of Israel's landscape.
Biblical Context and SignificanceThe land of Israel is characterized by a diverse topography, including mountains, valleys, plains, and ridges. These geographical features often held significant strategic, agricultural, and symbolic importance in biblical narratives. Ridges, as elevated landforms, could serve as natural fortifications, vantage points, or markers of territorial boundaries.
Scriptural ReferencesWhile the Berean Standard Bible may not explicitly use the term "ridge," the concept can be inferred from descriptions of the land. For example, in the division of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel, the delineation of territories often involved natural landmarks, which could include ridges. In
Joshua 15:8, the boundary of the tribe of Judah is described: "Then the boundary went up by the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it ascended to the top of the hill west of the Valley of Hinnom, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim." Here, the "top of the hill" could be understood as a ridge that serves as a boundary marker.
Symbolic and Theological ImplicationsRidges, like other geographical features, can carry symbolic meanings in biblical literature. They may represent places of encounter with God, as elevated places were often chosen for altars and worship. For instance, in the account of Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), the ridge of the mountain becomes a stage for a dramatic demonstration of God's power.
Moreover, ridges can symbolize the separation between the sacred and the profane, the chosen and the unchosen, or the blessed and the cursed. In the prophetic literature, the imagery of mountains and ridges is sometimes used to convey messages of judgment or salvation.
Isaiah 40:4 proclaims, "Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain." This passage speaks to the transformative power of God, leveling the natural landscape as a metaphor for divine intervention and restoration.
Cultural and Historical ContextIn ancient Israel, ridges would have been significant for agricultural practices, as they could affect water drainage and soil fertility. The strategic importance of ridges in military contexts is also notable, as they provided natural defense lines and observation points. The Israelites, like other ancient peoples, would have utilized these features in their settlement patterns and defensive strategies.
ConclusionWhile the term "ridge" may not be explicitly mentioned in the Bible, its presence is felt through the descriptions of the land and its use in the narratives of the Old Testament. Understanding the role of ridges in biblical geography enhances our comprehension of the historical and theological contexts of the Scriptures.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The back, or top of the back; a crest.
2. (n.) A range of hills or mountains, or the upper part of such a range; any extended elevation between valleys.
3. (n.) A raised line or strip, as of ground thrown up by a plow or left between furrows or ditches, or as on the surface of metal, cloth, or bone, etc.
4. (n.) The intersection of two surface forming a salient angle, especially the angle at the top between the opposite slopes or sides of a roof or a vault.
5. (n.) The highest portion of the glacis proceeding from the salient angle of the covered way.
6. (v. t.) To form a ridge of; to furnish with a ridge or ridges; to make into a ridge or ridges.
7. (v. t.) To form into ridges with the plow, as land.
8. (v. t.) To wrinkle.
Greek
3790. ophrus -- an eyebrow... an eyebrow. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: ophrus Phonetic Spelling:
(of-roos') Short Definition: the brow, a
ridge Definition: the brow, a
...1638. elaion -- an olive orchard, ie spec. the Mt. of Olives
... from 1636, "an olive tree") -- properly, the of olive trees (an olive orchard),
referring to the Mount of Olives (J. Thayer) -- the mountain-ridge that runs...
Strong's Hebrew
7927. Shekem -- "ridge," a district in Northern Palestine, also a...... Shekem. 7928 . "
ridge," a district in Northern Palestine, also a son of Hamor.
Transliteration: Shekem Phonetic Spelling: (shek-em') Short Definition: Shechem
...8525. telem -- a furrow
... furrow,ridge. From an unused root meaning to accumulate; a bank or terrace --
furrow,ridge. 8524, 8525. telem. 8526 . Strong's Numbers.
7406. rekes -- perhaps roughness
... rough place. From rakac; a mountainridge (as of tied summits) -- rough place. see
HEBREW rakac. 7405, 7406. rekes. 7407 . Strong's Numbers.
7218. rosh -- head
... hair (3), head (256), heads (129), laughingstock* (1), leader (4), leaders (8),
leading man (1), leading men (2), masters (1), released* (1),ridge (2), rivers...
6077. Ophel -- a fortified mound or hill in Jer.
... NASB Word Usage Ophel (5). Ophel. The same as ophel; Ophel, aridge in Jerusalem --
Ophel. see HEBREW ophel. 6076b, 6077. Ophel. 6078 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
When one at the Back of the North Wind Wanted to Know How Things...
... Theridge of ice which encircled it appeared but a few yards off, and no larger
than the row of pebbles with which a child will mark out the boundaries of the...
Simon's Interpretation of the Mosaic Hexaemeron; his Allegorical...
... of spirit, embrace the bladder on both sides, around the pelvis, and connect it
with the great artery, called the aorta, in the vicinity of the dorsalridge....
Footnotes
... withdrew from the eyes of His disciples, in a seclusion which, perhaps, could nowhere
else be found so near the stir of a mighty city, the longridge of Olivet...
Palm Branches.
... Gradually the long procession swept up and over theridge, where first begins
the 'descent of the Mount of Olives,' towards Jerusalem....
Christ's Finished and Unfinished Work
... some points of view will be foreshortened and invisible, but when gazed down upon,
is seen to stretch widely leagues broad, from mountainridge to mountain...
The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
... After I had left the region inhabited by these people, my path continually ascended,
and I had to cross a mountainridge of white sand, covered in many places...
The Second Awakening.
... For in the spring of the next year Barton Warren Stone, a Presbyterian minister
serving his two congregations of Concord and CaneRidge in Bourbon County, and...
The Last visit.
... From the elevatedridge of Olivet, on which He now stood with the arrested group
around Him, He might tell them to gaze, in thought at least, far north beyond...
In the Desert
... The second man retreated, and raged from afar. The sculptor turned up the shingly
slope toward the sun-whiteridge of higher hills inland....
Index.
... Canada, 18-29. CaneRidge revival, 235. Carolinas colonized, 62.... MissionaryRidge,
268. Mississippi, the, 18, 21, 256. Missouri Compromise, 270, 271, 284....
Thesaurus
Ridge (3 Occurrences)... 6. (vt) To form a
ridge of; to furnish with a
ridge or ridges; to make into a
ridge or ridges.
... Multi-Version Concordance
Ridge (3 Occurrences).
...Olives (30 Occurrences)
... Early Arabic writers use the term Tur Zait, "Mount of Oil." 2. Situation and Extent:
The mountainridge which lies East of Jerusalem leaves the central range...
Malchiel (3 Occurrences)
... The name Neba is found on aridge which, some 5 miles Southwest of Hesban and opposite
the northern end of the Dead Sea, runs out to the West from the plateau...
Nebo (13 Occurrences)
... It was the summit of theridge of Pisgah (qv), which was a part of the range of
the "mountains of Abarim." It is about 2,643 feet in height, but from its...
Zion (169 Occurrences)
... set up" and Wetzstein from tsin, "to protect." Gesenius finds a more hopeful suggestion
in the Arabic equivalent cihw, the Arabic cahwat signifying "ridge of a...
Nob (6 Occurrences)
... Rather more than a mile North of Jerusalem rises theridge Ras el-Mesharif (2, 665
ft.), over which the road from the Nob passes; and here the traveler...
Rib (5 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) Aridge, fin, or wing, as on a plate, cylinder, beam, etc., to strengthen
or stiffen it.... 6. (n.) A prominent line orridge, as in cloth....
Carmel (33 Occurrences)
... It was here, at the east end of theridge, at a place called el-Mukhrakah (ie, the
place of burning), that Elijah brought back the people to their allegiance...
Crest (2 Occurrences)
... See Cognizance. 4. (n.) The upper curve of a horse's neck. 5. (n.) Theridge or
top of a wave. 6. (n.) The summit of a hill or mountainridge....
Bethhoron (12 Occurrences)
... to Beit Ur el tachta (1,210 ft.); it then ascends along theridge, with valleys
lying to north and south, and reaches Beit Ur el foqa (2,022 ft.), and pursuing...
Resources
What is the significance of Mount Carmel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat happened on the Mount of Olives? | GotQuestions.orgIs Göbekli Tepe where the Garden of Eden was located? | GotQuestions.orgRidge: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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