Barnea

Barnea is a biblical toponym most commonly associated with Kadesh-Barnea, a site mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the southern border of Canaan, at the edge of the Wilderness of Paran. It is best known as the place from which Moses sent the twelve spies into Canaan (Numbers 13–14) and where the Israelites, fearful of the land, refused to enter, leading to the forty-year desert sojourn.

The form Kadesh-Barnea is usually read as “Kadesh of Barnea,” though the exact meaning of Barnea is uncertain. Etymological theories link Barnea to a region, a tribal designation, or to springs or wells, but there is no scholarly consensus on its precise origin.

Geographically, the exact location of Kadesh-Barnea is disputed. It is traditionally placed in the southern Negev near the border of the land of Canaan or at the edge of the wilderness of Paran. Some scholars have proposed sites in the Sinai Peninsula, while others advocate locations elsewhere in the southern Levant. The identification remains conjectural, and no single site has been universally established as definitive.

Archaeology and scholarship on Kadesh-Barnea are limited. There is no definitive archaeological confirmation tying a specific location to the biblical Kadesh-Barnea, and identifications rely on the text of the Bible combined with geographic clues. As a result, the site continues to be discussed rather than conclusively proven.

In modern times, Barnea appears as a Hebrew surname and as part of toponyms in Israel. The name endures in scholarly, religious, and cultural references to the biblical site.