On the Red Sea shore, at the southern edge of Edom, stood a port the Bible spells Elath and Eloth. Israel passed by it in the wilderness, as Moses recalls in Deuteronomy 2. Solomon later built a fleet of ships nearby at Eziongeber, according to 1 Kings 9. Centuries on, 2 Kings 16 says Rezin king of Syria “recovered Elath to Syria” and drove the Jews out, so the town changed hands more than once. Three short mentions are all this topic holds, but they trace the same harbor across Israel’s journey, its kings, and its decline.
3 verses
And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
Matthew George Easton, 1897
Grove; trees, (Deut. 2:8), also in plural form Eloth (1 Kings 9:26, etc.); called by the Greeks and Romans Elana; a city of Idumea, on the east, i.e., the Elanitic, gulf, or the Gulf of Akabah, of the Red Sea. It is first mentioned in Deut. 2:8. It is also mentioned along with Ezion-geber in 1 Kings 9:26. It was within the limits of Solomon’s dominion, but afterwards revolted. It was, however, recovered and held for a time under king Uzziah (2 Kings 14:22). Now the ruin Aila.