Elath

Elath, also transliterated as Elat or Eloth, is an ancient port city in the southern Edomite region on the Red Sea coast at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. The name appears in the Hebrew Bible and is commonly identified with Ezion-geber, a harbor used by King Solomon for his Red Sea voyages. According to biblical accounts in Kings and Chronicles, Solomon's fleet sailed from Ezion-geber near Elath to Ophir to obtain gold and other goods, making Elath a key link in Iron Age trade networks.

The precise location of Elath is debated, but many scholars identify it with the northern part of the Gulf of Aqaba near the site of modern Eilat, Israel, opposite the Jordanian coast. Archaeological remains in the area provide limited direct evidence for a 1st millennium BCE port, and interpretations vary. The harbor and site are also associated with later Nabataean control, reflecting shifting regional powers around the Red Sea trade routes.

In the present day, the coastal city of Eilat, Israel, sits at the approximate location, commanding the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is now a modern port and resort town, serving tourism, international shipping, and ferry connections to Aqaba and the Sinai.

See also Ezion-geber, Ophir, Gulf of Aqaba.