KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH

(Kibʹroth-hat·taʹa·vah) [burial places of the cravings].

The site of an Israelite wilderness encampment, where the mixed crowd expressed selfish longing for the food of Egypt. (Num. 11:4; 33:16, 17; Deut. 9:22) It is generally identified with Rueis el-Eberij, about eighteen miles (29 kilometers) NE of Jebel Musa, the traditional site of Mount Sinai. There Jehovah miraculously provided a month’s supply of quails for the entire camp. (Num. 11:19, 20, 31) But the people were so greedy that “the one collecting least gathered ten homers” (62 bushels; 2,220 liters). The record says that while “the meat was yet between their teeth, before it could be chewed, . . . Jehovah began striking at the people with a very great slaughter.” Rather than denoting literal chewing of a mouthful, this may mean before the entire provision of meat could be “exhausted” or “consumed” (AT, RS), because the Hebrew word translated “chewed” basically means “cut off.” (Compare Joel 1:5.) After this the dead were buried and the place therefore came to be called Kibroth-hattaavah.—Num. 11:32-35.