Elath

A town located near the northern end of the Gulf of Elath, the eastern finger of the Red Sea.

The location of biblical Elath remains uncertain. Elath seemed originally to have belonged to Edom (1 Ki 9:26) but changed hands in the course of time, first to Judah (2 Ki 14:22) and then back to the Edomites (2 Ki 16:6; 2 Chron 26:2). The town did not seem to have played any significant role in the history of Israel. It is mentioned only 7× in the OT.

Modern Elath is, on the other hand, an important port and tourist center.