homevideosguided toursarticleslocation profilespicturesiPIX

		Kadesh-barnea Photos Scriptures ref.

Kadesh-barnea - location profile

Location and Setting

• Kadesh-barnea was located about fifty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea and fifty miles southwest of Beersheba. (In a triangle formed by Gaza, the southern end of the Dead Sea, and Kadesh-barnea, the latter would be at the southern point.)
• Kadesh means "holy" or "consecrated." Kadesh-barnea is also referred to as Kadesh in scripture.
• Scripture refers to Kadesh-barnea as being located in both the Wilderness of Zin and the Wilderness of Paran. Each is true. The Wilderness of Paran is a larger desert area that includes the Wilderness of Zin (Num 13:26; 20:1; Deut 1:19,46).
• The spring at Ain Qedeis was originally thought to be the site of Kadesh-barnea because of its similar name. However, the flow of the spring there would not have been sufficient to supply two million Israelites. Another possibility is the large spring called Ain el-Qudeirat. Probably, Kadesh-barnea was an oasis that included both these springs and several others.

Historical and Biblical Significance

• Hagar, Sarah’s maid, fled to Beer-lahai-roi, ("the well of the living one who sees me") located between Kadesh-barnea and Bered (Gen 16:14).
• Moses and the Israelites moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh-barnea. From there, twelve spies (one from each tribe) were sent to explore the Land. After forty days, they returned with reports of the abundance of the Land, but also of the overwhelming power of its inhabitants. Ten of the spies recommended not entering Canaan, but two other spies, Joshua and Caleb, enthusiastically encouraged Israel to enter and take the Land, trusting that God would give them victory (Num 12:16-14:9).
• The people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron at Kadesh-barnea, rebelling against the will of the Lord. God expressed His desire to destroy them, but Moses interceded, pleading with the Lord on their behalf. God did not destroy them but decreed that they would wander in the wilderness until the generation that had refused to believe and obey Him had died. Of those over twenty years of age when they left Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb would survive to enter the Land (Num 14:10-40).
• When they were told of their impending thirty-eight year penalty, the men of Israel tried to enter the Land forcefully with the result that the Amalekites and the Canaanites drove them back to Hormah (Num 14:40-45).
• During the subsequent desert wandering around Kadesh-barnea, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled against Moses’ leadership. As a result, these men and their families were swallowed up in the earth. Two hundred fifty men who burned incense were also killed. In addition, when a plague swept through the camp because of Korah’s sin, 14,700 people died. The plague was only averted after Aaron took fire from the altar, placed it in his censer, and circled the camp (Numbers 16).
• Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron, died and was buried at Kadesh-barnea (Num 20:1).
• The people of Israel complained to Moses about the lack of water at Kadesh-barnea. The Lord commanded Moses to speak to the rock and it would bring forth water. In his anger against the people for their rebellion, Moses struck the rock, as he had done forty years earlier at Horeb (Ex 17:1-7). Water gushed out, but there was a penalty for disobeying God’s command. Moses would not be allowed to bring the people into the Land. From that time, the spring at that place was called the "waters of Meribah" because, "…the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them." (Num 20:2-13).
• When Israel left Kadesh-barnea, they traveled about ten miles to the northeast to Mount Hor. There, Aaron died and "was gathered to his people." Israel mourned there for thirty days (Num 20:22-29).
• The southern border of the Land and the territory of the tribe of Judah was defined as beginning at the southern end of the Dead Sea, passing south of Kadesh-barnea, and then eastward to the Mediterranean Sea (Num 32:8; Josh 15:3).
• Joshua’s conquest encompassed all the area of southern Palestine, which included Kadesh-barnea, Gaza, and all of Goshen (Josh 10:41).

Bibliography

1. Bimson, John J., ed. Baker Encyclopedia of Bible Places. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1995.
2. Kelso, J.L. "Kadesh-Barnea" The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Ed. Merrill C. Tenney. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.
3. Kitchen, K.A. "Kadesh" The New Bible Dictionary. 2^nd ed. Ed. J.D. Douglas. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1982.
4. Lockyer, Sr., Herbert, ed. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986.
5. Smith, William. The New Smith’s Bible Dictionary. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1966.