Finally, recall that ancient Bashan had areas of thick forest, many of the trees being massive oaks, such as shown to the left. The Phoenicians made oars out of sturdy oak wood from Bashan. (Ezekiel 27:6) Yet, even such ‘massive trees of Bashan, the impenetrable forest,’ could not stand against God’s expressed wrath. (Zechariah 11:2; Isaiah 2:13) Seeing such trees also makes it easier to visualize why such forests would be a problem for a fleeing army.

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.