What is a…
spring
Which springs are mentioned in Scripture?
Hebrew: ע —transliterations: ain, ayin or 'en —meaning: the bright open source, the eye of the landscape (that is, a pool of water seen in the land and not fed by a stream)
A spring is the point where underground water (an aquifer) flows to the surface. Some are slow flowing and others vigorous cascades. Some springs are hidden beneath the pool of water they create, stirring the waters as they rise.
A spring is generally different than a well, which must be dug to reach the underground water.
The land of Israel has both hot springs and cool springs.
Springs of the Bible lands
Many natural springs are mentioned in Scripture.
- Ain Jalud (see: Harod, Fountain of Jezreel) (aka Ma'ayan Harod, מעיין חרוד, Herod’s Spring, Ain Jalut, عين جالوت, The Spring of Jezreel—1 Sam. 29:1), in the Jezreel Valley on the northwest corner of Mount Gilboa. The water emerges from what is called Gideon Cave.)
- Ain Jidy (Ain Jidi, Ein Gedi, En-gedi, Engedi, Eggadi, Engaddi) (see: Engedi, cave, Dead Sea)
- Hamat Gader (חַמַּת גָּדֵר) (aka Hammat Gader, Hammath Gader, Al-Hammeh or El-Hamma), hot springs in the Yarmuk River valley, near the Golan Heights and the Israel’s border with Jordan
- Hammat Tiberias (Hammat Tiberias, Hamat Tverya National Park). The 17 springs here, including hot springs, have been known since antiquity for their curative properties. Two ancient synagogue sites have been excavated here.
- el Ain (see: Riblah)
- Ain 'Atan (see: Etam, Nephtoah)
- Ain el Barideh (see: Dalmanutha)
- Ain Hamul (see: Hammon
- Ain Haud (see: 'En shemesh)
- Ain Hawarah (see: Marah)
- Ain Helweh (see: Abel-meholah)
- Ain Hudherah (see: Kibroth-hattaavah)
- Ain el-Hudhera (see: Hazeroth)
- Ein Netafim, in the Eilat mountains located near the modern Israeli border with Egypt
- Ein Hoga, supplies water to the Bet She'an valley
- Ein Lavan, on the outskirts of Jerusalem in the Judean Mountains
- Ain Kana (see: Kanah)
- Ain Karim (see: Beth-haccerem)
- Ain Kezbeh (see: Achzib)
- Ain Lifta (see: Nephtoah)
- Ain Muweileh (see: Beer-lahai-roi)
- Ain Rimmon (`En rimmon) (see: Rimmon)
- Ain Sarah (see: Sirah)
- Ain Shems (see: Ebenezer, Beth-shemesh, Kirjath-jearim
- Ain esh Shemsiyeh (see: Beth-shemesh
- Ain es-Sultan (see: Jericho
- Ain Tabighah (see: Bethsaida)
- Ain Ummel-Daraj (En-rogel)
- Ain el-Ghudyan (see: Ezion-geber
- Bel'ain (see: Baalath)
- M'ain (see: Baal-meon)
- Ras-el-Ain (see: Antipatris)
- Gihon Spring in Jerusalem
- Gilboa (meaning: boiling spring)
- Ras al-Ein (Head of the Spring, Ra's al-'Ayn, Ras al-Ayn, Ras-el-Ain, Rosh HaAyin), in Galilee at the foot of Tel Afek (Antipatris)
- Ein Nymphit (עין נמפית, Nymphit Spring), located northwest of Tel Afek, south of Kfar Masaryk, Israel
- Ein Avdat (Ein Ovdat), in a Negev Desert canyon / Archaeology indicates the Nabateans (Arabs) once lived here. There are deep pools and a series of waterfalls.
- Gan HaShlosha, large warm spring and National Park located between kibbutzim Beit Alfa and Nir David
- Ras al-Ayn (Ras al-Ain), more than 100 natural springs located in modern Syria, on the Syria–Turkey border. The most famous is the hot spring called Nab'a al-Kebreet.
- Tophel (modern Tafilah, aka At-Tafilah, Tafila, Tafyleh, Tufileh, الطفيلة), in southwest Jordan. There are ancient ruins here (Edomite and Nabatean) and 360 natural springs in the area, including the natural reservoir of Dana and the 15 natural hot springs, including the Ma'in Hot Springs (aka Hammamat Ma'in), Afra and Burbeita. The water in the springs contains elements with healing properties, including sodium, calcium, chloride, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.
“Springs” mentioned in the King James Version of Joshua 10:40 (Hebrew: 'ashdoth) should be translated as “slopes,” as it is in modern translations, including the Revised King James Version, NKJV, NASB, ESV, etc.
CAshdoth refers to the “undulating ground lying between the lowlands (the shephelah) and the central range of hills.” (Mathew G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary)
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