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Medeba

Locations
Modern Location Madaba, Jordan
Coordinates 31.6758, 35.7933

Geographical Setting

Medeba is an ancient city located in the Moabite plateau, historically significant for its role in biblical narratives and its preservation of the 6th-century Madaba Map.

What is the meaning of Medeba in the Bible?

Medeba was a prominent city in the Mishor (plain) of Moab, frequently contested between the kingdoms of Israel and Moab during the Iron Age, and later serving as a Byzantine ecclesiastical center.

SIGNIFICANCE

Understanding Medeba provides context for the territorial conflicts described in the Books of Kings and Chronicles, while the surviving Madaba Map offers a rare archaeological glimpse into the geography of the Holy Land as perceived in the late antique period.

Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide

Geopolitical & Terrain Context: Medeba (located near modern Madaba, Jordan) held strategic importance. Understanding its position and trade routes explains why key biblical events unfolded here.
Bible Study Reflection Prompts:
  • Why did the biblical author mention Medeba in this passage?
  • What cultural or historical assumption does Medeba clarify?

Source Attribution

Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.

How to Cite This Entry

"Medeba." Ancient Context Dictionary. Accessed 2026. https://ancientcontext.com/context/medeba/
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