Zobah

Zobah or Aram-Zobah (Hebrew ארם צובא or ארם צובה) was the capital of an early Aramean state in southern Syria, at one time of considerable importance. In I Samuel xiv. 47, its king is supposed to have fought with Saul, but this is unconfirmed.

Its king, Hadadezer bar Rehob, allied with Ammon against David, who defeated Zobah and made the kingdom tributary to Israel (II Samuel 10.). In this war, Arameans from across the Euphrates came to Hadadezer's aid (II Sam. 10:16). Upon the accession of Solomon, Zobah became independent of Israel (compare I Kings xi. 23 et seq.). Berothai, a city belonging to Hadadezer (II Sam. 8:8) is identified by many with Berothah (Ezekiel xlvii. 16), which was between Hamath and Damascus. Zobah was probably located near this city, though Joseph Halévy claims to have identified Zobah with Chalcis. On either view, the area in question would be found in the far south of Syria and parts of Lebanon.

After the 10th century BCE, Zobah is not mentioned in the Bible, but the city of Subiti, which is mentioned in the annals of Ashurbanipal as having been conquered by him in the 7th century BCE, is probably identical with it (compare Schrader, "K. B." ii. 217). The same city is mentioned in some broken cuneiform lists of towns in connection with Hamath and Damascus. It also appears (as "Aram-Zobah") in the chapter of Psalm 60.

From the 11th century, it was common Rabbinic usage to apply the term "Aram Zobah" to the area of Aleppo, and this is perpetuated by Syrian Jews to this day.

See also

• Aleppo Codex
• Hamath-zobah

References

• Schrader, K. B. ii. 121 et seq;
• Delitzsch, Wo Lag das Paradies? pp. 279 et seq.

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: