‫פרשת חי וצומח‬

In the Parsha Lech Lecha

Plants Places
Animals
Compiled from: WWW.ORT.ORG The Living Torah by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Abraham's The Hebrew term Eloney Mamreh of Genesis 13:18 is considered

oak by some translators to be a name of a region in Canaan. Other
scholars dispute this and suggest instead that it is a reference
‫ אלני ממרי‬to the terebinth trees of Mamre; or to the oak of Mamre, which
has since come to be known as Abraham's Oak.

Oaks can live for as long as 1000 years. Their monumental

scale makes them useful as a geographical landmark.

Location: North-west of Hebron.

Terebinth The Hebrew term Elon Moreh of Genesis 12:6 has been
‫מורה‬ ‫ אלון‬considered by some translators to be the name of a specific
locality in Canaan. It has hence been viewed by some
translators as meaning "the plains of Moreh". Other scholars
dispute this and claim instead that the name Elon Moreh is a
reference to the terebinth that was located on the plains of
Moreh. The terebinth tree is distinguished by its longevity and
scale and hence, it has been suggested, could have been used
as a geographical landmark by travelers. The term appears in a
passage which describes the route taken by Abraham on his
journey to the promised land.

The terebinth is a monumental tree. It is a member of the

pistachio and sumac family.

Habitat: Valley of Elah, the Negev and Lower Galilee.

Ai A town to the east of Bethel (north of Jerusalem) mentioned at Genesis 12:8. It was later conquered
by Joshua. Identified with the modern town of Haiyin
‫עי‬
Ashteroth The place where Chedorlaomer defeated the Rephaim (Genesis 14:5). Ancient twin cities, situated
to the east of the Sea of Galilee on what is now the Golan Heights. Katnaim literally means “twin
Karnaim horns” (Radak)
‫עשתרת‬
‫קרנים‬
Chatzatzon A place mentioned at Genesis 14:7 as the home of the Amorites defeated by Chedorlaomer.
Identified by some rabbinic authorities with Ein Gedi.
Tamar
‫חצצן תמר‬
Chovah A place in Syria, site unidentified, mentioned at Genesis 14:15 in connection with Abraham's pursuit
of Chedorlaomer and his allies.
‫חובה‬
Damascus The principal city of Syria, mentioned in Genesis 15:2 as part of the name of Abraham's manservant
Eliezer.
‫דמשק‬
Egyptian Sometimes translated as the River of Egypt. This is mentioned at Genesis 15:18 and Numbers
34:5 as the south-western border of the Promised Land. It is identified as Wadi el-Arish, which is 128
Wadi km (80 miles) west of the Dead Sea in the middle of the Sinai peninsula.

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 ‫פרשת חי וצומח‬
‫נהר מצרים‬
Ellasar A city near Erekh in Babylonia, mentioned at Genesis 14:1 as the kingdom of Ariokh. About 100
miles south of Babylon’s capital, and a major power center in ancient times
‫אלסר‬
Euphrates, One of the rivers emanating from Paradise (Eden). It rises in the Armenian mountains and flows for
1780 miles (2865 km). The alluvial plain between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers was known as
river Babylonia. In Genesis 15:18 G-d made a covenant with Abraham, promising the Israelites that their
‫פרת‬ ‫ נהר‬territory would extend to 'the great river': this was later fulfilled through the conquests of King David.
Eyl Paran A place in or near the Paran Desert, mentioned in connection with the campaign of Chedorlaomer
at Genesis 14:6. Translated as “plain” in Targum.
‫איל פארן‬
Eyn A place in the Negev mentioned at Genesis 14:7 in connection with the campaign of Chedorlaomer
and as being the former name of Kadesh. “Well of decision” or Well of judgment”
Mishpat
‫עין משפט‬
Kadesh A place in the Negev on the border of the territory of Edom. Mentioned at Genesis 14:7 in the
of the campaign of Chedorlaomer and in Numbers 20 as the place where Miriam died,
‫ קדש‬account
and where Moses brought forth the water from the rock and sent out the twelve spies. Identified by
modern scholars with Kadesh Barnea (probably Ain Qudeis, or Ain Qudeirat), but some rabbinic
authorities distinguish the two. It should not be confused with Kadesh on the Orontes river (northern
Lebanon) which is an important archeological site but is not mentioned in the Bible.
Level Also known as the King's Valley, this is the place where the king of Sodom greeted the victorious
Chedorlaomer (Genesis 14:17).
Valley
‫עמק שוה‬
Mamre A place near Hebron, to the west of the caves of Machpelah where Abraham settled and built an
(Genesis 13:18; Genesis 23:17). The words Eloney Mamre may be translated either as 'the
‫ ממרא‬altar
plains of Mamre' or as 'the terebinths of Mamre'. Hebron area, west of Machpelah.
Salem A city mentioned at Genesis 14:18 as the kingdom of Malkhi-tzedek. Later commentators identified
Salem with Jerusalem.
‫שלם‬
Shaveh A city to the east of the Dead Sea, mentioned at Genesis 14:5 as the place where Chedorlaomer
defeated the Emim. It is possible that this is the same as the Kiryathaim mentioned at Numbers
Kiryiathaim 32:37, that later became part of Reubenite territory.
‫שוה קריתים‬
Shur Desert Also known as the Wilderness of Shur, the arid region in north-west Sinai, south of the Mediterranean
coastline and the Philistine Highway. Shur lay on an important trade route between southern
‫ דרך שור‬Palestine and Egypt. Abraham lived between Kadesh and Shur before travelling to Gerar (Genesis
20:1), and Sarah's handmaid Hagar fled to a well past Kadesh on the way to Shur (Genesis 16:7).
The Israelites entered the Shur desert after passing through the Red Sea before travelling southwards
into Sinai (Exodus 15:22).
Siddim A valley mentioned at Genesis 14:3 as the mustering-point of Chedorlaomer and his allies. It is
with the Dead Sea. Radak translates as “field”; Targum Yonathan renders as “Orchard
‫ שדים‬identified
Valley”

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