Who and what is…
Timna

also known as: Timmna and Timnah, Timnath

Hebrew: תִּמְנָע —transliteration: Timna —meaning: “restraint” or “holding in check” —from a root word meaning: “to restrain,” “to allot,” “to divide”

This is the name of a biblical women, a man, 2 cities and a desert valley.

  1. Timna, an Edomite chief Edom

    He is a grandson of Esau and a son of Eliphaz (Genesis 36:40; 1 Chronicles 1:36, 51).

    The chiefs of Edom listed at the time of their King Hadad’s death are…

    chief Timna
    chief Aliah
    chief Jetheth
    chief Oholibamah
    chief Elah
    chief Pinon
    chief Kenaz
    chief Teman
    chief Mibzar
    chief Magdiel
    chief Iram —1 Chr. 1:51-54

    Timna’s relatives include…

  2. Timna, daughter of Seir

    She is a sister of Lotan (Genesis 36:22; 1 Chronicles 1:39).

    They were Horites.

    She becama concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz and gave birth to Amalek (Genesis 36:12), the father of the Amalekites, an enemy of the children of Israel.

  3. Timnah, a Philistine city in Canaan

    also known as: Timna or Timnath

    It is located west of Jerusalem in the Sorek Valley (Nahal Sorek), an access point to the coastal plain which contains the remains of an ancient Roman road.

    Samson married a Philistine woman here and asked a riddle here about a lion and honey (Judges 14).

    Archaeologists believe this place has been located, and is now called Tell Batash (aka Tel Batashi) (Hebrew: תל בטש).

    Tell Batash, Israel—satellite view

  4. Timna, another city in ancient Israel

    (Josh. 15:57)

    Probably the same city (Timnath) to which Judah traveled to visit his sheepshearers and had illicit sex with Tamar his daughter-in-law (Genesis 38:12-14).

  5. Timna Valley

    Hebrew: תִּמְנָע

    Timna Valley Park, Israel—satellite view

    This desert mountain valley is located in southern modern Israel in the southwestern Arabah, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) north of the Gulf of Aqaba and the city of Eilat. It is known for its rich copper ore that has been mined for thousands of years.

    See: ARABAH

    In early times it was part of the Kingdom of Edom.

    Streaming video— 
    “Timna: Israel’s Ancient Copper Mines”
    Timna Valley had an extensive network of sophisticated copper mines and is now a tourist attraction in Israel’s south.
    Length: 5 minutes

More information

Article Version: October 23, 2024