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Sepharvaim

also known as: Sephar-vaim

This is a Babylonian city taken by King Sargon, king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:24; 18:34; 19:13; Isaiah 37:13)

It was a double city, and received the common name Sepharvaim, i.e., “the two Sipparas,” or “the two booktowns.” The Sippara on the east bank of the Euphrates is now called Abu-Habba; that on the other bank was Accad, the old capital of Sargon I, where he established a great library. (See Sargon.)

Cuneiform inscriptions were found at Tel el-Amarna in Egypt, consisting of official despatches to Pharaoh Amenophis IV and his predecessor from their agents in Israel, proves that in the century before the Exodus an active literary intercourse was carried on between these nations, and that the medium of the correspondence was the Babylonian language and script. (See Kirjath-Sepher.)

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Article Version: July 14, 2021