Bashan and King Og of Bashan

Bashan is modern-day Golan Heights. It stretches from the Sea of Galilee in the west to Mount Hauran in the east, and from the Yarmuk River in the south to Mount Hermon in the north. The area includes Havvoth Jair south of the Yarmuk River, as well as Ramoth Gilead and Edrei. North of the Yarmuk are the two small kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah, along with Golan, Ashtaroth, and the sixty cities of Argob. The easternmost towns were Zakah and Kinat. The western part is a vast plateau with an elevation between 500 and 750 meters, while the eastern part is mountainous, averaging over 1,500 meters in height, with Mount Hauran reaching about 1,795 meters. The entire region is a rich and fertile land with lush pastures. During the winter, winds from the west bring abundant rainfall, and the main crops are wheat, cattle, and sheep. It is a “land for livestock.” It was once one of the main breadbaskets of the Roman Empire, and its ancient oak trees were as famous as the cedars of Lebanon. According to the Bible, the region was home to many heavily fortified towns. In the New Testament era, the region was called Trachonitis and belonged to the Jewish kingdom. It was first directly ruled by Herod the Great and, after his death, by his son, the tetrarch Philip.

​The Bible records that during the time of Joshua, King Og of Bashan had sixty cities, “all of them with high walls and gates and bars,” posing a difficult challenge for the Israelites, who lacked experience in siege warfare. However, since God had delivered the enemies into the hands of His people, nothing was unconquerable. The Book of Deuteronomy records that King Og of Bashan had a bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, according to a man’s cubit. By modern measurements, Og’s bed was approximately 4 meters long and 1.8 meters wide, indicating that King Og of Bashan was a giant. Yet, such a giant was so easily defeated in the presence of God. Under God’s protection, the Israelites took the entire land of Bashan, with its sixty fortified cities and many unwalled villages. Later, when the land was divided among the twelve tribes of Israel, the land of Bashan was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Thirty-eight years earlier, when the Israelites first stood before the Promised Land, Moses had exhorted the people not to be afraid, but the older generation was still fearful. Now, God gave the new generation victory over King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan, causing all nations to “tremble and fear” before the Israelites. The new generation was able to follow in faith, learning the lesson of faith once again. From then on, they no longer viewed the “large and fortified” cities of the Canaanites as being “as high as the sky,” because they knew from their experience of victory that when God said He would deliver the enemy into their hands, He would fight for His people.

Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version of the Bible, Logos Bible Geography, and a comprehensive biblical interpretation.