Home/Biblical Encyclopedia/E/En-rogel

En-rogel Rogel

Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia

(spring of the foot) (Josh. 15:7) — a spring located not far from Jerusalem, at the entrance to the valley of the sons of Hinnom, on the border of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Here Jonathan and Ahimaaz stopped and waited for news from the city to report to David concerning the movements of Absalom during his rebellion (2 Sam. 17:17). At this spring Adonijah held his feast in order to proclaim himself king over Israel (1 Kings 1:9). It was called “the spring of the foot” probably because fullers here trod cloth and garments with their feet in preparing them for bleaching; and afterward it came to be called “the Virgin’s spring,” from a hollow cut into the rock (today called by the Arabs Ain Umm ed-Daraj), that is, “the spring of the mother’s steps,” to which one descends by a stairway of 30 steps.

It is also called the spring of Nehemiah, on the supposition that this was the very spring in which the sacred fire was hidden at the time of the captivity, and afterward found by Nehemiah (2 Macc. 1:19–22). On the map of Jerusalem drawn up by Marino Sanudo, the spring En-rogel is without any doubt the spring of Job.

Scripture cited

Joshua 15:72 Kingdoms 17:173 Kingdoms 1:92 Maccabees 1:19

Related entries

Search the whole Encyclopedia All 4,575 entries, searchable, with every entry linked to the verses it explains.
← En-rimmonEn-shemesh →