Rehoboth & Gerar

If we look for Rehoboth in the Bible, we do find it mentioned a couple of times and in great detail. While we where studying Namibia as a potential Land of Midian, we stumbled upon something. We looked for Rehoboth in modern day Namibia, and to our surprise it is still on the map having the very same name as in ancient times. Is it the same one though? In ancient Hebrew (a form Sotho and Tswana we believe) it would have meant (Rehoboth) broad or wide places, and certainly is the landscape of the current location of Rehoboth. It certainly is Wide (but mountainous) and these days, just a great deal of the driest forms of nothingness. With no trace of SoNiNi, in the form of life and water, is to be found in these parts at all. However, is this the Biblical Rehoboth? Well, we are not sure it can be. Lets dive !

Now for other locations, bearing in mind we need to get the area of Rehoboth down, will need to get Gerar (and Beersheba again) on the map. We see that Isaac dug a well in Gerar (Genesis 26,22) and Isaac gave it the name Rehoboth, meaning SoNiNi has given us space and we will flourish in the land. Now Isaacs servants did dig two wells, and the herdsmen of Gerar had disputes with Isaacs guys because of it saying the water was theirs. After they dug the third well, the men kept quiet, and thats when Isaac named it Rehoboth saying Manje (NOW) SoNiNi has given us room (Genesis 26,17-22):

17 So Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar and settled there. 18 Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham; for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the names that his father had given them.

19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, 20 the herders of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac’s herders, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarrelled or that one also; so he called it Sitnah. 22 He moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he called it Rehoboth, saying, “Now SoNiNi has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."

We will find more traces in our Scriptures on Rehoboth, saying Saul the Edomite King, was from Rehoboth by the river... (Genesis 36,37):

37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates succeeded him as king.

and 1 Chronicles 1,48:

8 When Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates succeeded him.

The same phrase as before, Rehoboth on the Euphrates. So we see that the Edomite King Saul came from Rehoboth by the River.... Which must be Euphrates right? Then this Rehoboth on the map, could be a different location.

Now furthermore we find this Genesis 10,11-12:

11 From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

So then, there is more then one Rehoboth here, it must be. From Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates (Genesis 36,37). Or does it say River, meaning it could mean the Jordan also. Or these old Rivers (Zambezi/Euphrates) went deeper into Namibia connecting with a now dried up lake. We merely speculate, but we have to. To make one location fit, the rest must also fit. So Rehoboth would more than likely have been on the East side of Southern Africa, closer to Land of Moab (Mozambique).

So the Rehoboth Ir, which was founded by Nimrod (close to Nineveh), was based in Assyria. Now Assyria we place on the map in regards to the 4 Rivers of Paradise articles in Namibia, Angola and Botswana (parts of the countries remember European borders) - with this in mind Nimrods Nineveh would much better fit the location of being in Namibia and Midian (Genesis 10,11). In ancient Hebrew Rehoboth Ir could be directly translated as streets of the town or the public place in town. Is the Rehoboth left on the map in Namibia or close by?

Now Gerar is the one who will move the location of Rehoboth to the Southeast of Africa. As we know from Scripture Gerar was a Philistine town we find mentioned in Genesis and II Chronicles. In Genesis 26,17:

17 So Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar and settled there.

Here we see mentions of the valley of Gerar, and it was supposedly located South of Gaza. Now in the Bible we find that this town features in the story of Isaacs wives, where each one of the patriarch's passed their wife of as their sister, which in Isaacs manner lead to serious complications with the Philistine King Abimelech (Genesis 20,1 and Genesis 26,1).

Now if we go to II Chronicles 14,12-15 we find Gerar and its surrounding towns in the story of King Asas defeat of Zerahs Cushite army (II Chronicles 14,12-15):

"12 SoNiNi defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Juda, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the army with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until no one remained alive; for they were broken before SoNiNi and his army. The people of Judah carried away a great quantity of booty. 14 They defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of SoNiNi was on them. They plundered all the cities; for there was much plunder in them. 15 They also attacked the tents of those who had livestock, and carried away sheep and goats in abundance, and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem."

We see here, that Juda would have been south of Gerar, and Gerar would have been an outer-point of the Kingdom. And not far from the River Euphrates, which was the northern border of The Land, where several locations are mentioned together as being close by (Bersheeba, Gerar and Rehoboth).

If we go to the Genesis stories, we find way more descriptions that will solidify this location (Genesis 10,19):

19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the descendants of Ham, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

Now, if we consult some of these old sources, Eusebius and Jerome, we can do even more digging here. So Eusebius work Onomasticon, we have studied at length to be trustworthy as it was written such a long time ago, that we believe it holds true locations and is not to politically motivated. Gerar was according to Eusebius, 25 Roman miles South of Eleutheropolis... What is this then a large city and port, could it be the seaport of what we today call Maputo? Now this name is histoircally a Roman colony, and was founded by a Septimius Severus, close to an old Hebrew town called Maresha (Mozambiquan border is today called Namaasha/Namaacha). This town is mentioned as being destroyed by Vespasian a time before that, this would be found in Josephus writings.

Now back to Gerar that would also be close to these areas, it was known in later times (centuries after Christ), as being the seat of Marcian a central figure in the Council of Chalcedon.... When the trinity doctrine slowly but surely was introduced over a few centuries and people went from Law, to Lawlessness. Another Gospel was certainly on the way.

Now for all intends and purposes as Genesis reads, Gerar belonged to the Philistines with Abimelech as their King. How long were they there and are they still there today, is very hard to say. Africas soil is red from all the blood spilled, and only SoNiNi knows what descendants live there today, but the sons of Ham are indeed left there from ancient times and have settled in those areas.

SoNiNi unathi.