Nile

The Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world. This river originates as the “Blue Nile” in Lake Tana in Ethiopia and as the “White Nile” in Lake Victoria. These two rivers then flow to the north and merge at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. After that the Nile flows further to the north through Egypt, emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.

The name “Nile” comes from Greek. In the Old Testament the Nile is not referred to by a name, but by the Egyptian loan word ye’or, which means “river”.
In antiquity, Egypt was known as “the gift of the Nile”. The annual flooding of this river ensured that the agricultural land was covered with fertile silt each year. This came to an end in recent times when the Aswan Dam was built.

The rise and fall of the Nile was also well-known in Old Testament times. This phenomenon is therefore used as an image in Amos 8:8: the whole country will rise up and fall away again, just like the Nile.
The rising of the waters of the Nile was responsible for the fertility of the land. This phenomenon is therefore used in Jeremiah 46:7-8 as an image of the military might of Egypt. The Egyptians will cover the earth with water, like the Nile. They do not, however, do this to bring fertility, but to destroy the cities of the enemy. It is therefore of great importance to the Israelites that the water of the Nile is kept in check.

In the Old Testament the Nile generally has unfavourable connotations. Moses is saved from the River Nile as a baby. That is why he is called “Moses”, which means “pull from the water” (Exodus 2:10).
When Moses is an adult, he and his brother Aaron show that God has power over Egypt by changing the water of the Nile into blood (Exodus 7:17-18; see also Psalm 78:44).

Another way of breaking the power of Egypt is to have the Nile dry up. When this happens, no corn or flax can be planted, and no more fish can be caught. In the prophecy of judgement on Egypt in Isaiah 19:5-8 it is therefore announced that the water in the Nile will dry up (see also Ezekiel 30:12).