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Rephidim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
Rephidim was one of the places (or "stations") visited by the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt.
At Rephidim, the Israelites found no water to drink, and in their distress they blamed Moses for their troubles, to the point where Moses feared that they would stone him (Exodus 17:4). God commanded Moses to strike a certain "rock in Horeb," which caused a stream to flow from it, providing enough water for all of the people.
Afterwards, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites while encamped at Rephidim, but were defeated (Exodus 17:8-16). They were the "first of the nations" to make war against Israel (Numbers 24:20).
One proposal places Rephidim in the Wadi Feiran, near its junction with the Wadi esh-Sheikh. Leaving Rephidim, the Israelites advanced into the Sinai Wilderness (Exodus 19:1-2; Numbers 33:14-15), possibly marching through the two passes of the Wadi Solaf and the Wadi esh-Sheikh, which converge at the entrance to the er-Rahah plain (which would then be identified with the "Sinai Wilderness"), which is two miles long and about half a mile broad. See also Meribah.
The name "Rephidim" (Hebrew: רְפִידִם) may mean supports.
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