Mount Hor

For the mountain in state of Vermont of the United States, see Mount Hor (Vermont).

Mount Hor (Hebrew: הֹר הָהָר, Hor Ha-Har) is the name given in the Old Testament to two distinct mountains. One is in the Land of Edom on the East shore of the Dead Sea (currently, the country of Jordan), the other by the Mediterranean Sea at the Northern border of the Land of Israel.

Mount Hor in Edom

Mt. Hor

This Mount Hor is situated "in the edge of the land of Edom" (Numbers 33:37). It is the scene of Aaron's death. Since Josephus it has been identified with the Jebel Nebi Harun ("Mountain of the Prophet Aaron" in Arabic), a twin-peaked mountain 4780 feet above sea-level (6072 feet above the Dead Sea) in the Edomite Mountains on the east side of the Jordan-Arabah valley. On the summit is a shrine, the Tomb of Aaron, said to cover the grave of Aaron.

Some investigators at the turn of the 20th century dissented from this identification: H Clay Trumbull preferred the Jebel Madara, a peak northwest of 'Ain Kadis.

Mt. Harun

Mount Hor at the Northern border

Another Mount Hor is mentioned in Numbers 34:7,8, defining the northern boundary of the Land of Israel is traditionally identified as the Nur Mountains known also as Amanus.[1] In Medina Saudi Arabia, on the top of Mount Uhud, according to Encyclopædia Britannica The tomb of Aaron is located on the highest point of Mount Uḥud.Therefore it is speculated that mount Hor is Mount Uhud of Saudi Arabia.

References

  1. Joseph H. Hertz ed., The Pentateuch and Haftorahs: Hebrew Text English Translation and Commentary Edition: 2, Soncino Press, 1988

Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Previous Station:
Kadesh
The Exodus
Stations list
Next Station:
Zalmonah

Coordinates: 30°19′01″N 35°24′25″E / 30.31694°N 35.40694°E