LEBANON

Biblical GN

1.

An ancient Near Eastern region (2 Nephi 12:13; 27:28)

LEBANON is the name of a mountainous region north of Israel mentioned four times in the Isaiah section of the Book of Mormon but not mentioned as a separate PN or GN in the Book of Mormon. The name Lebanon contains an -ôn ending indicating a "place of whiteness" (perhaps of snow in the mountains). The German scholar, Wilhelm Borée, in his outstanding study, Die alten OrtsnamenPalästinas (The Ancient Place Names of Palastine), cites fully eighty-four ancient Canaanite place names with the ending -ôn in biblical and extrabiblical sources (Egyptian and Mesopotamian writings, the El-Amarna letters, ostraca), including AYYALON Ayyalon (Elon) (Joshua 19:42-43), ELTEKON Eltekon (http://lds.org/scriptures/ot/josh/15.59?lang=eng#58 Joshua 15:59]), ASHKELON Ashkelon (Judges 1:18), GIBEON Gibeon (Joshua 9:3), GIBBETHON Gibbethon (Joshua 19:44), DISHON Dishon (Genesis 36:21), ZIPHRON Ziphron (Numbers 34:9), HELBON Helbon (Ezekiel 27:18), HOLON Holon (Joshua 21:15), HAMMON Hammon (Joshua 19:28), HEBRON Hebron (Joshua 10:36), HANNATHON Hannnathon (Joshua 19:14), DIBON Dibon (Numbers 21:30), and HESHBON Heshbon (Numbers 21:30).