ELATH (e'lath), (Heb. rnl, ay-lath', a grove), or ELOTH (e'loth), (Heb. ay-Iiith', a grove).
It was a city of Idumma, having a port on the eastern arm or gulf of the Red Sea, which thence received the name of Sinus Elaniticus (Gulf of Akaba). According to Eusebius, it was ten miles east from Petra. It lies at the extremity of the valley of Elghor, which runs at the bottom of two parallel ranges of hills, north and south, through Arabia Petrtea, from the Dead Sea to the north ern parts of the Elanitic Gulf.
(1) Early Mention. The first time that it is mentioned in the scriptures is in Deut. ii :8, where, in speaking of the journey of the Israelites to wards the Promised Land, these words occur 'When we passed by from our brethren the chil dren of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion geber.' These two places are mentioned together again in I Kings ix:26, in such a manner as to show that Elath was more ancient than Ezionge ber, and was of so much repute as to be used for indicating the locality of other places : the pas sage also fixes the spot where Elath itself was to be found: 'and King Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Elath, on the shore (Num. xxxiii :35) of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.' (2) Under Israel's Irdnos. The use which David m..de of the vicinity of Elath shows that the country was at that time in his possession. Accordingly, in 2 Sam. viii:14, we learn that he had previously made himself master of Idumza, and garrisoned its strongholds with his own troops. Under one of his successors, Joram (2 Kings viii:2o), the Idumzans revolted from Judah, and elected a king over themselves. Joram there upon assembled his forces, 'and all the chariots with him,' and, falling on the Idumeans by night, succeeded in defeating and scattering their army. The Hebrews, however, could not prevail, but 'Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day;' thus exemplifying the striking lan guage employed (Gen. xxvii :4o) by Isaac—'by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother : and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.' From 2 Kings xiv :22, however, it ap pears that Uzziah recovered Elath, and, having so repaired and adorned the city as to be said to have built, that is rebuilt it, he made it a part of his dominions. This connection was not of long con tinuance ; for in ch. xvi. vcr. 6 of the same book,
we find the Syrian king Rezin interposing, who captured Elath, drove out the Jews, and annexed the place to his Syrian kingdom, and 'the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.' (3) Roman Rule. At a later period it fell un der the power of the Romans, and was for a time guarded by the tenth legion, forming part of Pal mstina Tertia (Jerome, Orion. S. V. Ailath; Strabo, xxi :4, 4; Reland, p. 556). It subse quently became the residence of a Christian bish op. In the days of its prosperity it was much dis tinguished for commerce, which continued to flourish under the auspices of Christianity. In the sixth century it is spoken of by Procopius as being inhabited by Jews subject to the Roman dominion (De Bell. Pers. i:19).
(4) Under Islamism. In A. D. 630, the Chris tian communities of Arabia Petrxa found it ex pedient to submit to Mohammed, when John, the Christian governor of Ailah, became bound to pay an annual tribute of 30o gold-pieces (Abulfeda, Ann. i. t7s ). Henceforward, till the present cen tury, Ailah lay in the darkness of Islamism.
(5) Present Condition. Mounds of rubbish alone mark the site of the town, while a fortress, occupied by a governor and a small garrison un der the Pasha of Egypt, serves to keep the neigh boring tribes of the desert in awe, and to min ister to the wants and protection of the annual Egyptian Haj, or pilgrim caravan. This place has always been an important station upon the route of the Egyptian Ilaj. Such is the importance of this caravan of pilgrims from Cairo to Mecca, both in a religious and political point of view, that the rulers of Egypt from the earliest period have given it convoy and protection. For this purpose a line of fortresses similar to that of Akaba has been established at intervals along the route, with wells of water and supplies of pro visions (Robinson's Biblical Researches, vol. i.
p. 250). J. R. B.
t, EL-BETHEL (61'-b&W-e1),(H tril‘? ale bayth-ale', the God of Bethel), God of Bethel, the name given by Jacob to an altar which he built (Gen. xxxv:7), and which stood, probably, in the very spot where he had formerly seen the prophetic dream of the ladder (Gen. xxviii :14 (See ELDAAH (61'cl5-ah or nl-da'ah), (Heb. God of knowledge), one of the sons of DiIidian. The name does not occur except in Gen, xxv:4 and t Chron, i:33 (B. C. after 2063). there was any tribe that took this appellation no trace of it has been found.