Parshat Masei delineates the Torah's borders of Eretz Yisrael.
It's hard to know exactly where these areas are today, but a lot of it is certainly known.
Also, we have differing interpretations of these borders from Kaftor V'Ferach & Tevuot Ha'Aretz.
Not very different interpretations, however. They're basically the same.
Perhaps it's helpful to view photos of these borders to help us get a better picture in our minds.
It's hard to know exactly where these areas are today, but a lot of it is certainly known.
Also, we have differing interpretations of these borders from Kaftor V'Ferach & Tevuot Ha'Aretz.
Not very different interpretations, however. They're basically the same.
Perhaps it's helpful to view photos of these borders to help us get a better picture in our minds.
To get a better idea of what we're viewing, here's a modern map:
One of the faint squiggly lines south of the modern Sinai-Israeli border is Wadi el-Arish, one of the locations for Nachal Mitzrayim (Stream of Egypt) and the God-given southern border of Eretz Yisrael.
However, for those who go by the Rambam, Nachal Mitzrayim (and therefore, the southernmost border of Eretz Yisrael) is the Nile:
However, for those who go by the Rambam, Nachal Mitzrayim (and therefore, the southernmost border of Eretz Yisrael) is the Nile:
The Northern Border of Eretz Yisrael
Here lies the biggest difference between the 2 interpretations.
Tevuot Ha'Aretz pinpoints Eretz Yisrael's north-westernmost border of Mount Hor as just north of the Lebanon Mountain Range, around modern-day Tripoli, Lebanon.
This is the Lebanon Mountain Range, the northernmost part would be that border and included within the territory of Asher (and also possibly Naphtali to its eastern side):
Tevuot Ha'Aretz pinpoints Eretz Yisrael's north-westernmost border of Mount Hor as just north of the Lebanon Mountain Range, around modern-day Tripoli, Lebanon.
This is the Lebanon Mountain Range, the northernmost part would be that border and included within the territory of Asher (and also possibly Naphtali to its eastern side):
Lebanon Mountains (Area of Mount Hor & the Northern Border of Eretz Yisrael according to Tevuot Ha'Aretz) — Image by kab_s
According to Tevuot Ha'Aretz, the central northern border town called Chamat in the Torah is the city today known as Hama, Syria, which hosts a large river:
The area of Chamat according to Tevuot Ha'Aretz, today known as Hama, Syria (By Bernard Gagnon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/)
However, Kaftor V'Ferach pinpoints Mount Hor much farther north (which also pushes Chamat farther north too), where today stands the Nur mountain range in the Hatay Province of Turkey, and would further extend Asher's territory quite far north:
A view of the Nur mountains in Hatay, Turkey, the possible location of Mount Hor & the northernmost border of Eretz Yisrael according to Kaftor V'Ferach — By Locus1891 - Personal photo from balcony, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21987023
Here is a close-up of Mount Nur in Hatay, Turkey, the possible location of Mount Hor & the northernmost border of Eretz Yisrael:
Mount Nur in today's Turkey. A possible location of Mount Hor according to Kaftor V'Ferach
The Western Border of Eretz Yisrael
Both identify the following along Eretz Yisrael's western border:
HaYam HaGadol (the Great Sea—the Mediterranean Sea)
HaYam HaGadol (the Great Sea—the Mediterranean Sea)
The Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tel Aviv.
Tzidon (today Saida in Lebanon)
Tzidon (today Saida in Lebanon)
Tzur (today Tyre or Sur in Lebanon)
Tzur (Tyre/Sur in modern-day Lebanon) — By RomanDeckert - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84362192
Akko/Acre
Akko
Haifa
Haifa
Yaffo
Port of Yaffo (Image by noamarmonn )
Ashkelon
Ashkelon — By Стреляев - Самостоятельная работа, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25781774
Gaza
Gaza Port — By Ramez Habboub - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35284425
The Eastern Border of Eretz Yisrael
The above 2 books differ according to the exact location of Zifron, but one of the locations appears to be in the area of Maaloula-Seidnaya in modern Syria.
A probable location for Zifron in today's Seidnaya, Syria
Mount Hermon
Mount Chermon in Eretz Yisrael ( Image by rbsa613)
The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) in Tiveria (Tiberias)
The Kinneret
Jordan River
Jordan River — By Jean Housen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11820699
Yam HaMelech (the Salt Sea/the Dead Sea)
Yam HaMelech
Maaleh Akrabbim (east of the southeastern part of the Dead Sea)
Maaleh Akrabbim—By Jean Housen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11820699
The Southern Border of Eretz Yisrael
Where is Kadesh-Barnea today?
Well, there's a settlement in the Negev called both Kadesh-Barnea & Nitzanei Sinai:
Well, there's a settlement in the Negev called both Kadesh-Barnea & Nitzanei Sinai:
By Jean Housen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11820699
Some say it's Petra, Jordan:
Kadesh Barnea or Petra, Jordan?
Yet others see it as Ein Qedeis (note the similar name: Qedeis/Kadesh), known since 1905 as Ain-el-Qudeirat in Wadi el-Ain of northern Sinai. Shards of pottery engraved with Hebrew found there boost the theory that it hosted Jewish settlement.
The southernmost border includes Atzmon and Nachalah Mitzrayim (Stream of Egypt), which some identify as Wadi El-Arish in present-day Sinai, but others say it's Nachal Besor.
(To my great frustration, I could not find even one free photo of anywhere in Northern Sinai, let alone that specific location.)
The closest thing I found was one of Israel's most southern towns, Nitzana, which lies not far from today's Sinai-Israeli border:
(To my great frustration, I could not find even one free photo of anywhere in Northern Sinai, let alone that specific location.)
The closest thing I found was one of Israel's most southern towns, Nitzana, which lies not far from today's Sinai-Israeli border:
Nitzana — By Etan J. Tal - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67486578
However, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, going according to the Rambam, considers the Sinai part of Eretz Yisrael too (can't remember where that's written).
(If so, that would explain the incredible sense of tranquility found there—never experienced such a thing anywhere else. Just the entire place is permeated with that feeling. I'm not the only one to feel this either.)
(If so, that would explain the incredible sense of tranquility found there—never experienced such a thing anywhere else. Just the entire place is permeated with that feeling. I'm not the only one to feel this either.)
Sinai Peninsula — By Mohammed Moussa - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28338950
The reason is because they identify Nachalah Mitzrayim as the Nile:
The Nile
And there you have it.
Hope you enjoyed this photo-documentary of the God-given Biblical borders of Eretz Yisrael as defined by the Torah.
Hope you enjoyed this photo-documentary of the God-given Biblical borders of Eretz Yisrael as defined by the Torah.
If you wish to see photos of the original Torah-defined locations of the Tribes (updated with new photos & a quote from Rav Avigdor Miller, in addition the original psak of the Lubavitcher Rebbe), please click here:
eretz-yisrael-in-its-entirety-a-photo-documentary.html
eretz-yisrael-in-its-entirety-a-photo-documentary.html
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