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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

IntroIndex©

RIBLAH

1. Town along the Orontes River located some 35 miles (56.3 kilometers) northeast of Baalbek, identifiable with modern Ribleh in Syria. Riblah was well situated topographically for military operations, especially when the great powers of Egypt and Mesopotamia were crossing the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. The Egyptians are mentioned in Scripture as the first people that troubled this town. After the death of King Josiah in his battle with the Egyptian pharaoh Neco, Jehoahaz was made king. Neco did not approve of the election. So the pharaoh imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah and made Eliakim (Jehoiakim), Jehoahaz’s brother, king of Judah (2 Kgs 23:33).

After the defeat of Neco at Carchemish in 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took control of the area, making Riblah his headquarters for his South-Syria and Palestine dominions. When Zedekiah, king of Judah, opposed Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians captured him and imprisoned him at Riblah (2 Kgs 25:6; Jer 39:5-6; 52:9-10). Consequently, many of Zedekiah’s sons were killed at Riblah, and Zedekiah was bound and taken to Babylon (2 Kgs 25:20-21; Jer 52:26-27).

Riblah is also called Diblah (asv) and Diblath (KJB) in Ezekiel 6:14.

2. Town defining part of the eastern boundary of Israel, located east of Ain (Nm 34:11). Its exact location is unknown, though it is probably not identifiable with #1 above.