Halah
Encyclopedia
Halah is a city that is mentioned in the Bible
. It is noted when the Assyria
ns invaded Israel
and enslaved the people. They were sent into exile in Halah, in Gozan
on the Khabur River
, and in the towns of the Medes
. Halah was in Assyria, which was a major power in northern Mesopotamia
. The city appears in 2 Kings and in 1 Chronicles, where the story is being retold.
It has been suggested that Halah may have been an old name for Cilicia
, as the Hebrew name is similar to Khilikku or Khilakku, the Assyrian
name for Cilicia, though this association is uncertain. Another suggestion is that Halah is a variant of Calah.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. It is noted when the Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
ns invaded Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and enslaved the people. They were sent into exile in Halah, in Gozan
Gozan
Gozan may refer to:* The Ancient River Gozan, Amu Darya, The River Amu or Oxus, a river in North Afghanistan & Central Asia.* the Five Mountain System, a Japanese network of Zen temples...
on the Khabur River
Khabur River
The Khabur River , , , ) is the largest perennial tributary to the Euphrates in Syrian territory. Although the Khabur originates in Turkey, the karstic springs around Ra's al-'Ayn are the river's main source of water. Several important wadis join the Khabur north of Al-Hasakah, together creating...
, and in the towns of the Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
. Halah was in Assyria, which was a major power in northern Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
. The city appears in 2 Kings and in 1 Chronicles, where the story is being retold.
It has been suggested that Halah may have been an old name for Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
, as the Hebrew name is similar to Khilikku or Khilakku, the Assyrian
Akkadian language
Akkadian is an extinct Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia. The earliest attested Semitic language, it used the cuneiform writing system derived ultimately from ancient Sumerian, an unrelated language isolate...
name for Cilicia, though this association is uncertain. Another suggestion is that Halah is a variant of Calah.