Baal-Zephon

Some have thought that this was only the name of a place. And some have concluded that it was the name of an idol. The words together may be read, the lord of secret, meaning one that inspects, and discovers what is hidden. One thing however is certain concerning it, that it was over against Baal - zephon, the Lord directed Israel to encamp, when the Egyptians were pursuing them after their departure from Egypt. I beg the reader to consult the Scripture concerning it, (Exod. 14. 2.) Piha - hiroth it should seem was so called, because it formed the mouth or gullet of entrance to the sea. And Migdol, which means a tower, was a watch - place, where it is probable that this idol was placed to watch, or pretend to watch, at the extremity of the kingdom of Egypt, on this part to the sea, by way of deterring runaway servants, or slaves, like Israel, from attempting their escape. It was in this very spot, as if, at once, to shew Israel the folly of such ridiculous idols; and to shew Egypt of what little avail their dunghill deities were; Israel was commandedto encamp, from whence they should behold the arm of the Lord displayed for their deliverance, and at the same time Egypt’s destruction. (See Exod. x2: 12, &c. Num. xxx2: 4.)

or the god of the watch tower, was probably the temple of some idol, which served at the same time for a place of observation for the neighbouring sea and country, and a beacon to the travellers by either. It was situated on a cape or promontory on the eastern side of the western or Heroopolitan branch of the Red Sea, near its northern extremity, over against Pi-hahiroth, or the opening in the mountains which led from the desert, on the side of Egypt, to the Red Sea.

Ba´al-Ze´phon, a town belonging to Egypt, on the border of the Red Sea (Exo 14:2; Num 33:7). Nothing is known of its situation.

A town in Egypt, probably near the modern Suez. Its location is unknown, as are the details of the route of the Hebrews on leaving Egypt. They encamped "over against" and "before" Baal-zephon before crossing the Red Sea. Exo 14:2 ; Num 33:7 .\par

In Egypt, where Israel encamped before Pharaoh overtook them at the Red Sea (Eze 14:2; Eze 14:9; Num 33:7), W. of the gulf of Suez, below its head. Migdol and Baal Zephon were opposite one another, Baal Zephon being behind Pihahiroh in relation to the Israelites. Gesenius explains the name is sacred to Typhon; others from the root tsaphah, "to watch" equating to "watchtower," as Migdol also means "tower."

(Hebrews Ba’al Tsephon’, בִּעִל צְפֹון, place of Typhon; Sept. Βεελσεπφῶν or Βεελσεπφίον, Josephus Βελσεφών, Ant. 2, 15, 1), a town belonging to Egypt, on the border of the Red Sea (Exo 14:2; Num 33:7). Forster (Epist. ad J. D. Michaelem, p. 28) believes it to have been the same place as Heroopolis ( ῾Ηρωώπολις), on the western gulf of the Red Sea (Pliny, Hist. Nat. v. 12; Strabo, 17, p. 836; Ptolem. 4:5), where Typhon (which Forster makes in Coptic ΔΩΨΩΝ; but, contra, see Rosenmüller, Alterthum, 3, 261), the evil genius of the Egyptians, was worshipped. SEE BAALIM. But, according to Manetho (Josephus contra Apion. 1, 26), the name of Typhon’s city was Avaris (Αὔαρις), which some, as Champollion (who writes ΟΥΑΡΙ, and renders “causing malediction;” L’Egypte suos les Pharaons, 2, 87 sq.), consider, wrongly, to be the same place, the stronghold of the Hyksos, both which places were connected with Typhon (Steph. Byz. s.v. ῾Ηρώ). Avaris cannot be Heroopolis, for geographical reasons. (Compare, as to the site of Avaris, Brugsch, Geograph’sche Inschriften, 1, 86 sq.; as to that of Heroopolis, Lepsius, Chron. d’,Egypt. 1, 344 sq., and 342, against the two places being the same.) In fact, nothing is known of the situation of Baal-zephon except what is connected with a consideration of the route taken by the Israelites in leaving Egypt, for it was “over against Baal-zephon” that they were encamped before they passed the Red Sea. The supposition that identifies its site with Jebel Deraj or Kulalah, the southern barrier of the mouth of the valley leading from Cairo to the Red Sea, is as likely as any other. SEE EXODE. From the position of Goshen, and the indications afforded by the narrative of the route of the Israelites, Baal-zephon must have been on the western shore of the Gulf of Suez, a little below its head, which at that time, however, has been located by some many miles northward of the present head. SEE GOSHEN; SEE RED SEA, PASSAGE OF.

Its position with respect to the other places mentioned with it is clearly indicated. The Israelites encamped before or at Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon, according to Exodus (Exo 14:2; Exo 14:9), while in Numbers Pi-hahiroth is described as being before Baal-zephon; and it is said that when the people came to the former place they pitched before Migdol (Num 33:7); and again, that afterward they departed from before Pi-hahiroth, here in Hebrews Hahiroth (Heb 5:8). Migdol and Baal-zephon must therefore have been opposite to one another, and the latter behind Pi-hahiroth, with reference to the Israelites. Baal-zephon was perhaps a well-known place, if, as seems likely, it is always mentioned to indicate the position of Pi-hahiroth, which we take to be a natural locality. SEE PI-HAHIROTH.

The name has been supposed to mean “sanctuary of Typhon,” or “sacred to Typhon,” an etymology approved by Gesenius (Thes. Heb. p. 225), but not by Furst (Hebrews Handw. s.v.). Zephon would well enough correspond in sound to Typhon, had we any ground for considering the latter name to be either Egyptian or Semitic; and even then Zephon in Baal-zephon might not be its Hebrew transcription, inasmuch as it is joined with the Hebrew form בִּעִל. Hence many connect Baal-zephon, as a Hebrew compound, with the root צָפָה, to spy, as if it were named from a watchtower on the frontier like the neighboring מַגְדֹּל, “the tower.” It is noticeable that the name of the son of Gad, called Ziphion (צַפְיוֹן) in Gen 46:16, is written Zephon (צְפוֹן) in Num 26:15. — Kitto; Smith.

By: Morris Jastrow, Jr., Frants Buhl, Marcus Jastrow, Louis Ginzberg

—Biblical Data:

An Egyptian locality in the neighborhood of the Red Sea. In spite of all attempted combinations (Dillmann-Ryssell on Ex. xiv. 2) its situation is still unknown. An Egyptian god, B'irati Dapuna—that is, Ba'alat Ẓaphon—is mentioned by the Egyptians themselves (W. Max Müller, "Asien und Europa," p. 315). The name calls to mind the Phenician , which designates both a god and a place. It particularly signifies a city on Mount Lebanon, which, in the opinion of H. Winckler, occurs also in the Old Testament; for he interprets Jer. xv. 12, ("Alttestamentliche Untersuchungen," p. 179), as "iron of Baalzephon." However, it is not certain whether the Egyptian city and the Egyptian god Ba'alat Ẓaphon are directly connected with the Phenician name of a god.

—In Rabbinical Literature:

The idol at Baalzephon was the only one that remained unharmed when God sent the tenth plague upon Egypt, which not only brought death to men and animals, but also destroyed the idols. When Pharaoh overtook Israel at the sea, near Baal-zephon (Ex. xiv. 9), he said, "This idol is indeed mighty, and the God of Israel is powerless over him." But God intentionally spared Baal-zephon in order to strengthen the infatuation of the wicked Pharaoh (Mek., Beshallaḥ, 2; Bo, 13).

BAAL-ZEPHON.—Exo 14:2, Num 33:7; the name of a place near the spot where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, apparently a shrine of ‘Baal of the north.’ The corresponding goddess ‘Baalit of the north’ is named along with the god of Kesem (Goshen), in an Egyp. papyrus of the New Kingdom, as worshipped at Memphis.

F. Ll. Griffith.

bā-al-zē´fon בּעל צפון, ba‛al c^ephōn; Βεελσεπφῶν, Beelsepphō̇n; Exo 14:2, Exo 14:9; Num 33:7): The name means “Lord of the North,” and the place was opposite the Hebrew camp, which was between Migdol and the sea. It may have been the shrine of a Semitic deity, but the position is unknown (see EXODUS). Goodwin (see Brugsch, Hist. Egt., II, 363) found the name Baali-Zapuna as that of a god mentioned in an Egyptian papyrus in the British Museum.