EN-GEDI

(En-geʹdi) [spring of the kid].

The name of a city and the surrounding wilderness in the territory of Judah. (Josh. 15:62; 1 Sam. 24:1) The city is usually identified with Tell ej-Jurn, near the modern settlement of ʽAin Jidi, approximately twenty-four miles (38.6 kilometers) SE of Jerusalem on the shores of the Dead Sea.

The Shulammite maiden alluded to the fruitfulness of the region, referring to “a cluster of henna . . . among the vineyards of En-gedi.” (Song of Sol. 1:14) This, however, only partly describes the rich plant life that flourishes there even today. En-gedi’s particular location in the depression of the region of the Dead Sea is conducive to the growth of semitropical vegetation, palms and balsam, plus a variety of fruits, making En-gedi an oasis that stands out from the nearby severely desolate Wilderness of Judah.—See JUDAH, WILDERNESS OF.

Not only this abundant growth, but also the En-gedi region’s inaccessibility made it an ideal hideout for David when he was being pursued by King Saul. Thus the Bible speaks of certain “places difficult to approach at En-gedi.” (1 Sam. 23:29) Modern-day visitors have similarly depicted the dangerous and precipitous rocky passes in that area. The hostility of parts of the terrain is also indicated by the reference to the “bare rocks of the mountain goats.” (24:2) Some scholars consider this a proper name, “Rocks of the Wild Goats” (AT, JB, RS), referring to some particular locality where goats were likely to congregate, as they do even in modern times in the En-gedi region. However, others view this term as simply a descriptive phrase for the region’s goat-inhabited, rough, conical mountains and ridges. The rocks of En-gedi are honeycombed with roomy caves. David and his men may have hidden in one of these. (24:3) Some suggest that the “stone sheepfolds” where Saul stopped may refer to these caves, with a rough wall built in front to give weather protection.—24:2-10.

The united forces of Ammon, Moab and the mountainous region of Seir came against Judah in the days of King Jehoshaphat by way of “Hazazon-tamar, that is to say, En-gedi.” (2 Chron. 20:2; see HAZAZON-TAMAR.) In Ezekiel’s vision of the “healed” seawater fishers were prophesied to station themselves “from En-gedi even up to En-eglaim.”—Ezek. 47:8-10.

ENGINE

See ARMS, ARMOR.

ENGRAVING

The art of cutting designs or letters into materials such as wood (1 Ki. 6:29, 32), metal (Ex. 39:30) or stone. (Zech. 3:9) The earliest allusion to engraving in Scripture may be the reference to Judah’s seal ring. (Gen. 38:18) Engraving was commonly done with pointed tools of iron or even diamond points. (Jer. 17:1) But the Ten Commandments were engraved on stone by God’s “finger.” (Ex. 31:18; 32:16; 34:1; 2 Cor. 3:7) Each of the two onyx stones on the shoulder pieces of the high priest’s ephod was engraved with the names of six different tribes of Israel, and each of the twelve precious stones adorning his breastpiece was engraved with the name of one of the tribes. The holy sign of dedication, the shining gold plate on the high priest’s turban, was engraved with the words: “Holiness belongs to Jehovah.” Filled with God’s spirit, Bezalel along with Oholiab, was qualified to do this specialized engraving work as well as to train others.—Ex. 35:30-35; 28:9-12; 39:6-14, 30.

EN-HADDAH

(En-hadʹdah) [mighty bubbling fountain, or swift fountain].

A city of Issachar, likely near En-gannim. (Josh. 19:17, 21) It is generally identified with el-Hadetheh, six miles (10 kilometers) E of Mount Tabor, though some suggest Khirbet el-Haddad, a little more than two miles NE of Megiddo.

EN-HAKKORE

(En-hak·korʹe) [spring of the man calling].

A spring at Lehi. (Judg. 15:19) It received its name when, after striking down a thousand men, thirsty Samson “began to call on Jehovah” for water and the spring was miraculously provided.—Vss. 14-18.

EN-HAZOR

(En-haʹzor) [spring of Hazor].

A fortified city of the tribe of Naphtali. (Josh. 19:32, 35, 37) It is generally identified with Khirbet Hazireh, about fourteen miles (22.5 kilometers) W-NW of the Huleh basin.

EN-MISHPAT

(En-mishʹpat) [spring of judgment].

Another name for Kadesh.—Gen. 14:7; see KADESH, KADESH-BARNEA.

ENOCH

(Eʹnoch) [initiated, dedicated].

1. Son of Cain and father of Irad. Enoch was born in the land of Fugitiveness after Cain had killed his brother Abel.—Gen. 4:17, 18.

2. The son born to Jared at the age of 162; the seventh man in the genealogical line from Adam. In addition to Methuselah, who was born to him when he was sixty-five years old, Enoch had other sons and daughters. Enoch was one of the “so great a cloud of witnesses” who were outstanding examples of faith in ancient times. “Enoch kept walking with the true God.” (Gen. 5:18, 21-24; Heb. 11:5; 12:1) As a prophet of Jehovah, he foretold God’s coming with His holy myriads to execute judgment against the ungodly. (Jude 14, 15) Likely persecution was brought against him because of his prophesying. However, God did not permit the opposers to kill Enoch. Instead, Jehovah “took him,” that is, cut short his life at an age far below that of most of his contemporaries. Enoch was “transferred” in that he apparently did not experience the pangs of death, although he died at the age of 365. (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5, 13) However, he was not taken to heaven, in view of Jesus’ clear statement at John 3:13. It appears that, as in the case of Moses’ body, Jehovah disposed of Enoch’s body, for “he was nowhere to be found.”—Deut. 34:5, 6; Jude 9.

Enoch is not the writer of the “Book of Enoch.” This is an uninspired, apocryphal book written many centuries later, probably sometime during the second and first centuries B.C.E.

3. The first city mentioned in the Bible. Cain built this city in the land of Fugitiveness to the E of Eden, calling it by the name of his son Enoch.—Gen. 4:17.

ENOSH

(Eʹnosh), Enos [man].

The son of Seth, born to him at the age of 105. Enosh was 90 years old when he became father to Kenan, and lived a total of 905 years. (Gen. 5:6-11) His name is also listed in the genealogies at 1 Chronicles 1:1 and Luke 3:38. In his day “a start was made of calling on the name of Jehovah.” (Gen. 4:26) This was evidently not a calling on Jehovah in faith and pure worship as Abel had done more than a hundred and five years before Enosh’s birth. Hebrew scholars contend that the text should read “began profanely,” or “then profanation began.” With reference to Enosh’s day the Targum of Palestine says: “That was the generation in whose days they began to err, and to make themselves idols, and surnamed their idols by the name of the word of the Lord.” According to Maimonides’ Treatise on Idolatry, “Enos himself was (one) of them that erred.” Apparently Jehovah’s name was then misused or improperly applied. Men may have applied His name to themselves or to other men through whom they pretended to approach God in worship; or else they applied His name to idol objects.

EN-RIMMON

(En-rimʹmon) [spring by the pomegranate trees, or fountain of the pomegranate].

A city of Judah mentioned after the captivity as being inhabited by the sons of Judah. (Neh. 11:25, 29) Its name may be a combination of Ain and Rimmon, mentioned at Joshua 15:32 and 19:7 and 1 Chronicles 4:32. Jerome’s Onomastikon calls it “a very large village, inhabited by Jews, sixteen [Roman] miles [23.7 kilometers] from Eleutheropolis, to the south