Summary

The Jordan (Yarden) River flows from the north to the south in the Land of Israel.

The valley through which the river runs is called the Arava, or the Plains of the Jordan.

The southern areas of the Jordan Valley are called the Plains of Moav and the Plains of Jericho (Yeriho).

  • Lot chose to settle in the Plains of the Jordan (Genesis 13, 10-11). 
  • Yaakov crossed the Jordan River on his way to Haran (Genesis 32, 11).
  • Reuven, Gad, and the half-tribe of Menashe requested and received their land portions on the eastern side of the Jordan River (Numbers 32, 5-19, et al).
  • The Jordan River was recognized as the original eastern border of the Land of Israel (Numbers 34, 12).
  • Moshe did not cross the Jordan River into the Land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 3, 27, et al).
  • Though Moshe was not to cross the Jordan, he prepared the People of Israel for their upcoming crossing of the Jordan and entrance to the Land of Canaan (Numbers 32, 21; Numbers 33, 51; Deuteronomy 9, 1; et al).
  • Men of Jericho tried to capture Yehoshua's spies in the area of the Jordan River passes (Joshua 2, 7).
  • Yehoshua split the Jordan River with the People of Israel as part of entering the Land (Joshua 3, 14-17, et al).
  • The splitting of (and Bnei Yisrael's crossing through) the Jordan River caused the inhabitants of the Land of Canaan to panic (Joshua 5, 1, et al).
  • The Jordan River is mentioned as part of the border of the tribal lands of Ephraim, Binyamin, Yissachar, and Naftali (Joshua 16, 1-7; 18, 12-20; 19, 22; 19, 33-34).
  • People of the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe built an altar in the vicinity of the Jordan River (Joshua 22, 9-11).
  • After the downfall of King Eglon of Moav, the People of Israel captured the Jordan River passes (Judges 3, 28).
  • Under the leadership of Gideon, the People of Israel captured the Jordan during the war against Midian (Judges 7, 24).
  • The King of Bnei Ammon accused the Nation of Israel of having conquered the Jordan from him, but Yiftah countered that the Jordan was conquered from the Amorites (Judges 11, 13; 11, 22).
  • The People of Gilead captured the Jordan River passes belonging to Ephraim (Judges 12, 5-6).
  • King David crossed the Jordan River to fight a war against Aram (II Sameul 10, 17; I Chronicles 19, 17).
  •  King David's flight from Avshalom and return to Jerusalem both involved crossing the Jordan River (II Samuel 17, 22; II Samuel 19, 16, et al).
  • King Shlomo cast copper vessels for the Mikdash (I Kings 7, 46; II Chronicles 4, 17).
  • Eliyahu crossed the Jordan on his final journey, and Elisha made the crossing when he returned from bidding Eliyahu goodbye (II Kings 2, 6; 2, 13-14).
  • Naaman, the Aramean army general, immersed in the Jordan River and was healed from his Tzaraat.
  • Elisha retrieved the ax- head that was dropped by one of the Bnei ha-Neviim (prophetic apprentices) into the Jordan Riverr (II Kings 6, 2-6).

 

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