Kadesh-Barnea

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

The town of Kadesh-barnea (or Kadesh) was the main settlement in the far south of Palestine. It was an oasis town between the Wilderness of Zin to the north, the Wilderness of Paran to the south, the Wilderness of Shur to the west, and the Arabah to the east ( Genesis 16:7;  Genesis 16:14;  Genesis 20:1;  Numbers 13:26;  Numbers 20:1; see Palestine ).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ka'desh-bar'ne-a.' (Kadesh means Holy; it is the same word as the Arabic name of Jerusalem, el-Khuds . Barnea means Desert Of Wandering ). This place, the scene of Miriam's death, was the farthest point which the Israelites reached in their direct road to Canaan; it was also that whence the spies were sent, and where, on their return, the people broke out into murmuring, upon which their strictly penal term of wandering began.  Numbers 13:3;  Numbers 13:26;  Numbers 14:29-33;  Numbers 20:1;  Deuteronomy 2:14.

It is probable that the term "Kadesh," though applied to signify a "city," yet had also a wider application to a region in which Kadesh-meribah certainly, and Kadesh-barnea probably, indicates a precise spot. In  Genesis 14:7, Kadesh is identified with En-Mishpat , the "Fountain Of Judgment". It has been supposed, from  Numbers 13:21;  Numbers 13:26 and  Numbers 20:1 that there were two places of the name of Kadesh, one in the wilderness of Paran and the other in that of Zin; but it is more probable that only one place is meant, and that Zin is but a part of the great desert of Paran.

(There has been much doubt as to the exact site of Kadesh; but Rev. H. Clay Trumbull of Philadelphia, visiting the spot in 1881, succeeded in rendering almost certain that the site of Kadesh is Ain Kadis (spelled also Gadis and Quadis ); "the very same name, letter for letter in Arabic and Hebrew, with the scriptural fountain of Kadesh - the Holy Fountain', as the name means - which gushed forth when Moses smote the rock." It lies 40 miles south of Beersheba and 165 northeast of Horeb, immediately below the southern border of Palestine. It was discovered in 1842 by the Rev. J. Rowlands of Queen's College, Cambridge, England, whose discovery was endorsed by the great German geographer Ritter, by E.S. Palmer in his "Desert of the Exodus," and by the "Imperial Bible Dictionary."

Dr. Trumbull thus describes it: - "It is an extensive oasis, a series of wells, the water of which flows out from under such an overhanging cliff as is mentioned in the Bible story; and it opens into a vast plain or wadi large enough to have furnished a camping-ground for the whole host of Israel. Extensive primitive ruins are on the hills near it. The plain or wadi, also called Quadis, is shut in by surrounding hills so as to make it a most desirable position for such a people as the Israelites on the borders of hostile territory - such a position as leaders like Moses and Joshua would have been likely to select."

("It was carpeted with grass and flowers. Fig trees laden with fruit were against its limestone hillsides. Shrubs in richness and variety abounded. Standing out from the mountain range at the northward of the beautiful oasis amphitheater was the 'large single mass or small hill of solid rock' which Rowlands looked at as the cliff ( sela ) smitten by Moses to cause it to 'give forth its water' when its flowing had ceased. From beneath this cliff came the abundant stream. A well, walled up with timeworn limestone blocks, was the first receptacle of the water. Not far from this was a second well similarly walled, supplied from the same source. Around both these wells were ancient watering-troughs of limestone. Several pools, not walled up, where also supplied from the stream. The water was clear and sweet and abundant. Two of the pools were ample for bathing." - Editor).

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Numbers 13:3-21 13:26 Numbers 13:3-21 13:26 Numbers 13:26 Numbers 14:40-45 Genesis 14:7 Joshua 15:3

The actual site of Kadesh-Barnea has been much debated, but the two most frequently mentioned sites are Ein-Qedeis and Ein el-Qudeirat. Both of these sites are in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, and both have a spring. Most scholars today accept Ein el-Qudeirat because of its abundance of water (the largest springs and oasis in northern Sinai). Ein el-Qudeirat is located on the crossroads of two major roads of antiquity—the road from Edom to Egypt and the road from the Red Sea to the Negev and southern Canaan, later southern Judah. The location on the road from Egypt to Edom would fit well the biblical context of Kadesh-Barnea as the oasis home for the Hebrews during the wilderness wandering period. Likewise, the location of Kadesh-Barnea along the north-south road may explain the rationale for attempting the invasion of Canaan at Arad, since Arad lay north of Kadesh-Barnea on that road.

Excavations of Ein el-Qudeirat have shown major fortresses dating from the period of Solomon to the fall of the monarchy (tenth century B.C. to sixth century B.C.), but no remains from the period of the wilderness wandering have been found to date. This raises the question about the identity of the site of Kadesh-Barnea. The site has not been fully excavated, however, and as yet no better alternative site has come to light.

Joel F. Drinkard

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

a station of the Israelites, to which they returned again after thirty-eight years, is said to be in the wilderness of Zin,  Numbers 13:21;  Numbers 20:1;  Deuteronomy 32:51; but in the wilderness of Paran,  Numbers 12:16 . In the Itinerary it is simply called Rithmah, "the wilderness." Dr. Hales observes, that Wells, Shaw, the authors of the "Universal History," &c, have greatly perplexed and obscured the geography of this Itinerary, by supporting that there were two places of this name distinct from each other. They consider the latter of them as situated on the western side of Mount Hor, toward the land of Canaan, and thus confound it with that Kadesh in the land of the Philistines, where Abraham sojourned,  Genesis 16:13;  Genesis 20:1 . But that it lay on the east side of Mount Hor, is evident; for why should Moses send messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, requesting permission to pass through his territories in the way to Canaan, if they were already at the verge of Palestine  Numbers 20:14 ? This application, however, was necessary if his territories were situated between Canaan and the Israelites. The true situation of Kadesh is ascertained beyond a doubt, from its lying between Mount Hor and Ezion-Geber, on the Elanitic Gulf,  Numbers 33:35-37 .

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

Travellers are at a loss to determine whether the original Kabesh we read of  Genesis 14:7 is the same with the Kadesh,  Numbers 13:26. And it is not clearly accounted for, wherefore Barnea was added to it. The term Kadesh means holy. Barnea is a compound of Bar, a son—and Nuah, one who is moving about. Perhaps Barnea might have been given to Kadesh, from the frequent movings about of Israel while in the wilderness state. And in this sense the name was well-termed, and may be said of the church always on earth. Oh! that our journeyings might be ever to Kadesh, and always as Kadesh; for surely Moses said, so in Jesus it may be said of the church now, "ye are an holy people unto the Lord thy God." ( Deuteronomy 7:6) It. was at Kadesh Miriam died. Here also was the memorable rebellion of Israel concerning water; and here the Lord's grace notwithstanding that rebellion. (See  Numbers 20:1-13;  Psalms 106:32-33)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kā´desh - bar´nḗ - a ( קדשׁ בּרנע , ḳādhēsh barnēa‛  ; Καδής , Kadḗs ): Mentioned 10 times; called also "Kadesh" simply. The name perhaps means "the holy place of the desert of wandering." There are references to Kadesh in early history. At En-mishpat ("the same is Kadesh") Chedorlaomer and his allies smote the Amalekite and Amorite. Abraham dwelt near Kadesh, and it was at Beer-lahai-roi between Kadesh and Bered that the Angel of Yahweh appeared to Hagar (  Genesis 14:7;  Genesis 16:14;  Genesis 20:1 ). It was an important camp of the Israelites during their wanderings, and seems to have been their headquarters for 38 years ( Deuteronomy 1:2;  Deuteronomy 2:14; Judith 5:14). There the returning spies found the camp ( Numbers 13:26 ); there Miriam died and was buried ( Numbers 20:1 ); from thence messengers were sent to the king of Edom ( Numbers 20:14;  Judges 11:16 ff). There the people rebelled because of the want of water, and Moses brought water from the rock (  Numbers 20:2 ff); it was called therefore Meribath - or Meriboth-Kadesh (  Numbers 27:14;  Ezekiel 47:19;  Ezekiel 48:28 ). It was situated in the wilderness of Zin ( Numbers 20:1;  Numbers 33:36 ,  Numbers 33:37 ) in the hill country of the Amorites ( Deuteronomy 1:19 ), 11 days' journey from Horeb, by the way of Mt. Seir ( Deuteronomy 1:2 ), "in the uttermost" of the border of Edom ( Numbers 20:16 ), and on the southern border, probably the Southeast corner, of Judah ( Ezekiel 47:19; compare Judith 19). See Cobern, Homiletic Review , April and May, 1914.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Bibliography Information McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Kadesh-Barnea'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/k/kadesh-barnea.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.