Topical Bible: Rivers: Cities often Built Beside

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Rivers have played a significant role in the development and sustenance of civilizations throughout history, and this is no less true in the biblical context. In the Bible, rivers are frequently mentioned as vital sources of water, transportation, and fertility, often serving as the lifeblood of the cities built beside them. These cities, strategically located along riverbanks, benefited from the resources and trade opportunities that rivers provided.

1. The Euphrates River

The Euphrates River is one of the most prominent rivers mentioned in the Bible. It is one of the four rivers that flowed out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:14). The Euphrates is often associated with the ancient city of Babylon, a city of great significance in biblical history. Babylon, located near the Euphrates, became a powerful empire and a symbol of human pride and rebellion against God. The river provided the city with water and facilitated trade and communication.

2. The Tigris River

The Tigris River, like the Euphrates, is one of the rivers flowing from Eden (Genesis 2:14). The city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, was situated on the eastern bank of the Tigris. Nineveh is notably mentioned in the Book of Jonah, where God sends Jonah to call the city to repentance. The Tigris was crucial for Nineveh's agricultural and economic prosperity.

3. The Jordan River

The Jordan River holds a special place in biblical history and theology. It is the river that the Israelites crossed to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3:17). The city of Jericho, one of the first cities conquered by the Israelites, was located near the Jordan. The river is also significant in the New Testament, as it is the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17). The Jordan River symbolizes purification and new beginnings.

4. The Nile River

The Nile River is central to the account of the Israelites in Egypt. It was the lifeline of ancient Egypt, providing water for agriculture and serving as a means of transportation. The city of Memphis, an important cultural and political center, was located near the Nile. In the Book of Exodus, the Nile is the setting for several of the plagues that God sent upon Egypt, demonstrating His power over creation (Exodus 7:14-25).

5. The Abana and Pharpar Rivers

In 2 Kings 5:12, Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, mentions the rivers Abana and Pharpar of Damascus, expressing his preference for them over the waters of Israel. Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, was nourished by these rivers. The rivers contributed to the city's prosperity and strategic importance in the region.

6. The Chebar River

The Chebar River is mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel as the location where the prophet Ezekiel received visions from God while in exile (Ezekiel 1:1). The river was situated in Babylon, where the Jewish exiles lived. The Chebar provided a setting for divine revelation and communication with God during a time of displacement and longing for Jerusalem.

Throughout the Bible, rivers are depicted as sources of life, sustenance, and divine interaction. The cities built beside these rivers thrived due to the natural resources and strategic advantages they offered. Rivers in the biblical narrative often symbolize God's provision, judgment, and the unfolding of His redemptive plan for humanity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 46:4
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 137:1
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Great Stone Face
... for him the golden sands of her rivers, and gathered ... sweet music amid the bustle
and din of cities. Often, however, did the mountains which had been familiar ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the great stone face.htm

The Earliest Chapters in Divine Revelation
... Thus we often say, "That man inspired me." What we ... The two great rivers, the Tigris
and the Euphrates ... and the leading deities of the other cities in subordinate ...
/.../iii the earliest chapters in.htm

The Temples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... them like those which disturbed the cities over which ... their malice, and their crafty
attacks, often brought upon ... He causes the rivers to swell and overflow ...
/.../chapter iithe temples and the.htm

Against the Arians, and Concerning Himself.
... power of the air; and that the flowing rivers are a ... Were not they strangers to the
many nations and cities among whom ... I have often discussed it with you before ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xxxiii against the arians.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... both from the mines and from the rivers, feathers, oxen ... Building and ornamental woods
are often mentioned in ... condemned by Pharaoh to build the cities of Ramses ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

Epistle x. --Against Bishop Germanus.
... all other places, the roads, the rivers, the fields ... the times of Athanasius, who
is mentioned often in the ... these places were distant some miles from the cities. ...
/.../dionysius/the works of dionysius/epistle x against bishop germanus.htm

Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House ...
... among patriotic Jews; and it cost rivers of blood ... the real Publicani, or publicans,
who often underlet certain ... along the road, and at the entrance to cities. ...
/.../sketches of jewish social life/chapter 4 travelling in palestineroads.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... like unto the lightning he crossed the raging rivers."**. ... Local cults often centred
round obscure deities held in ... similar to that followed in the cities on the ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... The rivers were banked out and the inundation regulated by ... of canals and reeds,"
as it was often named"was ... Babylon and a few other large cities were unable ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm

Translated from the Greek.
... ruling from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ... regard to the legislation, in
which is often to be ... well, He assigns the presidency over five or ten cities. ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/translated from the greek.htm