Peniel

Define

The site traditionally associated with Peniel/Penuel is located east of the Jordan River, near the Jabbok (modern Zarqa) River in Jordan. Key findings include:
- Iron Age pottery: Excavations at mounds (tells) like Tell edh-Dhahab el-Sharqi have uncovered pottery dating to the Iron Age (ca. 1200–586 BCE), aligning with the period of the Judges and early monarchy mentioned in biblical timelines.
- Fortified structures: Evidence of walls and fortifications, supporting descriptions of it as a defended settlement.
Josephus (1st century CE, Antiquities of the Jews) recounts the biblical events at Penuel without adding new details, treating it as a historical site near the Jabbok.
Eusebius (4th century CE, Onomasticon) and Jerome (4th–5th century CE) mention it as "Fanuel" or "Penuel," locating it vaguely east of the Jordan but debating if Jacob's, Gideon's, and Jeroboam's references point to one or multiple sites. They note it as a place of worship for El (a Canaanite deity) and Yahweh.