Ezion-geber

Ezion-geber (meaning the wood of the man or backbone of a man) was an Israelite port city at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba (the eastern arm of the Red Sea), near modern Eilat in Israel. The Israelites encamped there during the wilderness wanderings (Numbers 33:35–36; Deuteronomy 2:8). Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber with the assistance of Hiram of Tyre, sailing to Ophir for gold (1 Kings 9:26–28; 2 Chronicles 8:17–18). Jehoshaphat of Judah also built a trading fleet there, but the ships were wrecked before they could sail — interpreted as divine judgment (1 Kings 22:48–49; 2 Chronicles 20:36–37). Archaeological excavations at Tell el-Kheleifeh have revealed a significant Iron Age settlement, though its identification with Ezion-geber is debated.