{
  "id": "dict_003657",
  "term": "Migdol",
  "slug": "migdol",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "place_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A biblical place name, probably referring to a fortified border settlement or tower in Egypt or near Egypt.",
  "simple_one_line": "Migdol is a biblical place name associated with a fortified site or tower near Egypt.",
  "tooltip_text": "Biblical place name meaning “tower,” often linked with a fortified site in Egypt or near the Egyptian border.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Egypt",
    "Exodus",
    "Red Sea",
    "Succoth",
    "Etham",
    "Pi-hahiroth"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Tower",
    "Fortress",
    "Geography in the Bible",
    "Ancient Near Eastern cities"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Migdol is a biblical place name meaning “tower,” likely referring to a fortified settlement or border outpost, especially in connection with Egypt and the exodus.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A biblical geographic name for a fortified place or tower, especially associated with Egypt.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Place name, not a theological doctrine",
    "Likely means “tower” or “fortress”",
    "Appears in exodus, prophetic, and historical contexts",
    "May refer to more than one location"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Migdol is the name of one or more locations mentioned in the Old Testament, especially in connection with Egypt and Israel’s route at the exodus. The word itself is related to a tower or fortified place, but in Scripture it functions mainly as a geographic name rather than a theological concept.",
  "description_academic_full": "Migdol is a biblical place name, probably referring to a fortified site or tower-like outpost, most often associated with Egypt. It appears in passages related to Israel’s departure from Egypt and in later prophetic or historical references. The Hebrew term behind the name is related to a tower or stronghold, but in the Bible Migdol functions mainly as a geographic designation rather than as a distinct theological idea. Because the name may refer to more than one location, readers should be cautious about identifying every reference with a single exact site.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Migdol is mentioned in the context of Israel’s route near the Red Sea in Exodus and in later references involving Egypt and Judah. In these passages it marks a real location or boundary point rather than a doctrinal theme.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient Near East, towers and fortified outposts were common border or strategic sites. A place called Migdol would naturally suggest a defensive structure, lookout point, or settlement associated with military control or trade routes.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Ancient Jewish readers would have understood Migdol as a recognizable place name with the ordinary sense of a tower or stronghold. The term’s geographic force would have mattered more than any symbolic development.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Exod 14:2",
    "Num 33:7",
    "Jer 44:1",
    "Jer 46:14",
    "Ezek 29:10",
    "Ezek 30:6"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [],
  "original_language_note": "From Hebrew מִגְדּוֹל (migdol), meaning “tower” or “fortress.” In Scripture it is used as a place name.",
  "theological_significance": "Migdol has little direct theological content. Its significance is mainly historical and narrative: it helps locate events in Israel’s history, especially the exodus and later prophetic judgments related to Egypt.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "Migdol illustrates how biblical place names can preserve ordinary physical meanings while functioning as precise geographic markers in the biblical storyline. The name itself is descriptive rather than conceptual.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "The name may refer to more than one location. Readers should not overstate its symbolic meaning or assume every occurrence points to one exact archaeological site.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters treat Migdol as a place name tied to a fortified site or border station. The main question is not theological interpretation but historical identification.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Migdol should not be treated as a doctrine, emblem, or technical theological term. It is a geographic name used in Scripture to locate events and settings.",
  "practical_significance": "Migdol reminds readers that biblical history is rooted in real places. Accurate geography can clarify narrative flow, prophetic settings, and the movement of God’s people.",
  "meta_description": "Migdol is a biblical place name meaning “tower,” often linked with a fortified site in Egypt or near the Egyptian border.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/migdol/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/migdol.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}