Wilderness of Judah

Biblical References

The name "wilderness of Judah" appears in several passages.

• Judges 1:16: The descendants of the Kenite went up "into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad," and settled there.
• Superscription of Psalm 63: "A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah."
• Matthew 3:1: The New Testament calls it "the wilderness of Judaea" and records that John the Baptist preached repentance there.

Joshua 15:61–62 lists six towns "in the wilderness" within the inheritance (allotted territory) of the tribe of Judah, including Beth-arabah and En-gedi. The wildernesses of Ziph, Maon, and En-gedi, where David hid from Saul (1 Samuel 23–24), also belong broadly to this region.

Geography and Background

The region extends eastward from the central ridge of the Judean hill country, on which Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron are located, down to the Dead Sea. Because the hill country blocks rain clouds moving in from the Mediterranean, its eastern slopes receive little rainfall. The land drops steeply toward the east, reaching the shores of the Dead Sea several hundred meters below sea level. Limestone hills and deep ravines dominate the landscape, and green growth appears only where springs emerge, as at En-gedi.

The Hebrew word midbar, translated "wilderness," refers less to a sandy desert than to rugged land that is difficult to settle and is used for grazing flocks. For this reason the region was a land of shepherds and fugitives. The road descending from Jerusalem to Jericho also passes through this area, and it is often mentioned in explanations of the setting of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

In the Old Testament, the Wilderness of Judah appears as a place of refuge and waiting. Psalm 63:1 uses "a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" as an image of longing for God.

The "wilderness" of Isaiah 40:3 is connected in the New Testament with the ministry of John the Baptist. Matthew 3:3 quotes this verse as "The voice of one crying in the wilderness" and applies it to John. The Gospels record that John proclaimed repentance in the wilderness and baptized in the Jordan River, and that Jesus, after being baptized, went into the wilderness to be tempted.

Interpretations and Issues

• Setting of Psalm 63: Some interpreters place the psalm during the period when David was fleeing from Saul. Others, noting that Psalm 63:11 calls David "the king," place it after he became king, when he withdrew toward the wilderness to escape the rebellion of Absalom (2 Samuel 15 and following).
• Location of the wilderness temptation: The Gospels simply call the place "the wilderness." The identification of the site of the temptation in the wilderness with a mountain west of Jericho is a later tradition.
• Qumran and John the Baptist: Beginning in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in caves near Qumran, northwest of the Dead Sea. Many scholars associate these scrolls with a community related to the Essenes. Some suggest that John the Baptist had a connection with this community, but the biblical text says nothing on the matter.
• Location of the Valley of Achor: Many place the Valley of Achor, mentioned in Joshua 7 and 15:7, in the northern part of the Wilderness of Judah near Jericho. Scholars differ, however, on its exact location.

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, Psalm 63 is frequently cited in sermons and devotional reflection as a prayer of seeking God in barren circumstances. Holy Land pilgrimage itineraries organized by Korean churches often include visits to Qumran, En-gedi, Jericho, and other sites in this region.