Bible Geography · Northwest Arabian Peninsula · c. 2000–1200 BC
Midian
Description
Midian was the territory on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Aqaba (modern northwest Saudi Arabia), inhabited by the Midianites, descendants of Abraham's son Midian by Keturah. It was a semi-nomadic pastoral land known for its copper smelting and caravan trade routes connecting Arabia, Egypt, and Canaan.
Significance
Midian was the school of the desert where God prepared Moses for forty years before the Exodus. It was in Midian that Moses learned humility as a shepherd, married into a priestly family, and received his divine commission at the burning bush. Moses' Midianite father-in-law Jethro also gave Moses practical wisdom for leading Israel.
Key Events
Moses fled from Egypt to Midian and helped Jethro's daughters at the well; Moses married Zipporah; God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and commissioned him; after the Exodus, Jethro visited Moses and advised on governance; the Midianites later oppressed Israel during the period of the judges.
Modern Context
The region of ancient Midian corresponds to the Hejaz and Tabuk regions of modern northwest Saudi Arabia. The site of Al-Bad' has been proposed as ancient Midian, and recent Saudi archaeological projects have begun opening these ancient sites to international study.