Hormah (meaning "broken rock", "banned", or "devoted to destruction"), also known by its Canaanite name Zephath (Tsfat צפת) in an unidentified city in the Hebrew Bible, mentioned as one of the cities captured by Joshua. Its location is unknown; some place it between Beer Sheba and Gaza, some between Beer Sheba and Arad and some in the east side of the Arabah in the ruins of Sarta (under the town of Tafileh, Tufileh or Tafyleh, identified as biblical Tophel).
The city is mentioned in Book of Numbers 21:2-3
- Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities." The LORD listened to Israel's plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.
It is also mentioned in Book of Judges 1:17:
- "Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their brothers and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah."
It is also mentioned in Numbers 14:45.
The Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwelled on that mountain descended; they struck them and pounded them until Hormah.
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