Hormah


Hormah, also known by its Canaanite name Zephath, is an unidentified city mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in relation to several conflicts between the migrant Israelite people seeking to enter the Promised Land and the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt at that time in southern Canaan.
Its location is unknown; some place it between Beer Sheba and Gaza, some between Beer Sheba and Arad, and some in the east side of the Arabah in the ruins of Sarta. Anson Rainey offers a thorough discussion of the options and references to supporting studies on p. 122 of his book, The Sacred Bridge.
The city is mentioned in Book of Numbers 14:45 as the site of an Israelite defeat:
The city is then mentioned in Book of Numbers 21:2-3 as the site of an Israelite victory:
Hormah is also mentioned in Book of Judges 1:17: