Hobah

Hobah was a location north of Damascus to which Abraham pursued the coalition of four kings after his rescue of Lot from their captivity. Genesis 14:15 records that Abraham divided his forces, attacked the enemy by night, and chased them as far as Hobah, recovering all the spoils and captives. The exact site of Hobah is unknown; it lay to the north or northeast of Damascus, and the name meaning hiding-place or secrecy may suggest a concealed or remote location.

The pursuit from the battle near Dan (in the north of Canaan) all the way past Damascus to Hobah represents a remarkable military action covering several hundred miles, demonstrating both the geographic range of the Genesis 14 narrative and Abraham's determination to recover his kinsman. This episode is the only military action attributed to Abraham in the patriarchal narratives, and it establishes him as a figure of significant standing among the regional powers of his time. The specific identification of Hobah remains unresolved by archaeology.