Mount Hermon #63

Mount Hermon is the highest peak in the region of ancient Israel, a massive ridge in the Anti-Lebanon range that rises to about 9,232 feet (2,814 meters) at its summit. Its snow-covered crown can be seen from much of northern Israel, and the Bible uses it as a northern boundary marker, a poetic image of abundance, and a landmark in the story of Israel’s conquest of the land east of the Jordan.

Biblical Significance

Deuteronomy records that Israel took the land east of the Jordan “from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon,” and notes that the Sidonians called the mountain Sirion while the Amorites called it Senir (Deuteronomy 3:8-9). Deuteronomy 4:48 gives yet another form of the name, “Sion,” which should not be confused with Zion in Jerusalem. The book of Joshua lists Mount Hermon as the northern limit of the territory conquered under Moses and Joshua (Joshua 11:17; 12:1).

Poets found in Hermon a picture of natural splendor. Psalm 89:12 sets Tabor and Hermon together as mountains that “shall rejoice” in the Lord’s name, and the Song of Solomon mentions its heights among the scenery of the north (Song of Solomon 4:8). Psalm 133 uses the mountain’s heavy dew as an image of the blessing that rests on brothers living together in unity, saying it is “as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion” (Psalm 133:3).

The New Testament never names Hermon, but it is often mentioned in connection with the Transfiguration. Mark reports that Jesus was at Caesarea Philippi at the foot of the mountain range when Peter confessed him as the Christ (Mark 8:27-29), and then, six days later, took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain where he was transfigured before them (Mark 9:2). Because Hermon towers over Caesarea Philippi, some interpreters have suggested that it is the mountain of the Transfiguration. The older church tradition, however, points to Mount Tabor in Galilee, and the Gospels do not name the mountain, so the question remains open.

Today

Hermon straddles the border between Lebanon and Syria, and its southern slopes reach into the Golan Heights, which are administered by Israel. The mountain acts as a natural water reservoir. Melting snow and rain feed underground channels that emerge at springs near Dan, Banias, and the Hasbani River, which together form the headwaters of the Jordan. That source gives the mountain a role in the water supply of modern Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.

The Israeli side is home to a ski resort, and the mountain is an important site for hiking and botany. Archaeologists have found ruins of ancient temples on the slopes and summit dating from the Roman period, showing that the peak was sacred to local peoples long before and after biblical times. Its name is thought to be related to a Semitic root meaning “sacred” or “set apart,” though scholars debate the exact derivation.