Sela

Sela, also known as rock or Joktheel, was an Edomite stronghold captured by King Amaziah of Judah (2Ki. 14:7; 2Chr. 25:12; Isa. 16:1; 42:11; Judg. 1:36).

Sela, meaning "rock" in Hebrew, was an Edomite stronghold located in the mountainous region of Seir. It is also referred to as Joktheel, a name given to it by King Amaziah of Judah after he captured it (2Ki. 14:7; 2Chr. 25:12). Sela is mentioned in several biblical passages, often in the context of God's judgment against Edom (Isa. 16:1; 42:11). The city was known for its strategic location and natural defenses, as it was situated in a valley surrounded by steep cliffs. Sela is believed to be the ancient name for the city of Petra, the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, which was carved into the rock faces of the surrounding mountains. The Nabataeans, who inhabited the area after the Edomites, further developed the city and its impressive rock-cut architecture. Today, the ruins of Petra are a popular tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jordan.

'=Se’lah, rock, the capital of Edom, situated in the great valley extending from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea (2 Kings 14:7). It was near Mount Hor, close by the desert of Zin. It is called “the rock” (Judg. 1:36). When Amaziah took it he called it Joktheel (q.v.) It is mentioned by the prophets (Isa. 16:1; Obad. 1:3) as doomed to destruction.

It appears in later history and in the Vulgate Version under the name of Petra. “The caravans from all ages, from the interior of Arabia and from the Gulf of Persia, from Hadramaut on the ocean, and even from Sabea or Yemen, appear to have pointed to Petra as a common centre; and from Petra the tide seems again to have branched out in every direction, to Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, through Arsinoe, Gaza, Tyre, Jerusalem, and Damascus, and by other routes, terminating at the Mediterranean.”