The Euphrates River

The Euphrates River is a famous river in the Middle East, originating in the Anatolian mountains within Turkey and fed by rain and snow. Together with the Tigris River to its east, it forms the Mesopotamia (meaning “between two rivers”) region, which is one of the cradles of ancient civilizations.

In the Bible, the Euphrates River is referred to as the Perath River or the Great River. The Bible first mentions the Euphrates River in Genesis 2:14, where it is listed as the fourth river flowing out of the Garden of Eden, after the Pishon, Gihon, and Tigris rivers. The Euphrates River was also one of the boundaries of the land (Canaan) that God promised to Abraham and his descendants. At that time, the Euphrates River did not merge with the Tigris River but flowed directly into the Persian Gulf. Later, sand and silt carried by the river gradually raised its bed, eventually causing the mouths of both rivers to shift southward. Today, it flows through Syria and Iraq. Downstream, it merges with the Tigris River at Qurna to form the Shatt al-Arab, which then flows into the Persian Gulf.