Ephraim in the Wilderness

Ephraim in the Wilderness (or Ephraim near the desert) is mentioned only in John 11:54 as the town to which Jesus withdrew with his disciples after the council of the chief priests and Pharisees determined to put him to death following the raising of Lazarus. He remained there until just before Passover, when he began his final journey to Jerusalem.

The site is generally identified with the ancient city of Ophrah in Benjamin, lying approximately fifteen miles northeast of Jerusalem on the edge of the Judean wilderness. It corresponds to the modern et-Taiyibeh, a village on a prominent hill overlooking the desert slopes toward Jericho and the Jordan valley. The name indicates its location near the barren wilderness, a liminal zone between the cultivated hill country and the arid Jordan rift. Jesus's retreat there represents a deliberate withdrawal from the dangerous political situation in Jerusalem while awaiting the appointed hour of his passion.