One of the world's most important rivers historically is the Euphrates. The Assyrians, Babylonians, and Sumerians were just a few of the mighty civilizations that originated in the Tigris-Euphrates River region. The entire area would be a dry desert without these twin rivers. Millions of people in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq depend on the intense agriculture and livestock keeping that the Euphrates supports. It is not surprising that the Christian Bible makes reference to such a significant river. In fact, as we'll discover, the Bible declares that the Euphrates is where human history begins and ends.

The Euphrates River valley is one of the early birthplaces of human civilization.

The Eden Garden

The Euphrates River is originally mentioned in the Bible as one of the rivers that were in the Garden of Eden. The Bible tells how God made a garden as the perfect place for the first humans to live after explaining how He created the world. A river passed through the garden, according to Genesis 2:10–14, and then split into the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates headwaters. So where was Eden's Garden? Biblical scholars have suggested that it was either close to the Persian Gulf's mouth, where they empty today, or in the region of Turkey and the Caucasus.

The Bible sets the Garden of Eden, the original home of humanity, at the Euphrates River.

Residence of Abraham

God decides to start operating via a man named Abram (eventually changed to Abraham) as the biblical narrative progresses. He resided in Ur, which was formerly a harbor city on the Persian Gulf at the Euphrates River's mouth. The ancient city of Ur is now located far inland in contemporary Iraq due to changes in the coastline throughout time. According to Genesis 11:31, the family eventually moved to Israel, the land that God had promised them, after leaving their own country. Abraham is regarded as the father of both the Jewish and the Arab peoples. Why do we mention the Euphrates though it isn't specifically referenced in this section of the Bible? Because Ur was there, as we know from archaeology, and due to Abraham's crucial role in the biblical narrative.

Mesopotamia, along the Euphrates, was home to a series of powerful civilizations in antiquity.

The Exile from Babylon

One of the greatest ancient empires to rise along the banks of the Euphrates was Babylon. Babylon is criticized in the Bible for its depravity, yet it also describes how God will use Babylon to further his objectives. Israel had breached the terms of their agreement with God by becoming disobedient. He consequently gave the Babylonians permission to conquer their territory and exile thousands of people. Jeremiah, a prophet, urged them to remain there, establish fields and homes, and expand their families. God promised to deliver them from exile one day and give them permission to reside in the Promised Land. On the banks of the Euphrates, Israelites composed some of the Jewish mourning songs included in the book of Psalms.

This is a restoration of the Ishtar gate of the city of Babylon, where the Israelites were taken into exile.

The Armageddon Battle

The Bible doesn't only start at the Euphrates River's source. It also finishes there. Four angels have reportedly been imprisoned at the Euphrates, according to the final book of the Bible, Revelation. They will be set free at the end of the world to wreak havoc on the planet with fire, smoke, and sulfur. The recruitment of a 200 million soldier army is related to this destruction (Revelation 9:13–19).

During the Persian Gulf Wars, Turkey used its dams to dry up the river to assist the American war effort.

Surprisingly, the Euphrates is currently in risk of drying up in Iraq due to a number of Turkish-built dams that have blocked off a large portion of the river's headwaters, a drought brought on by climate change, and a growing population in the area.

An Interpretation of Symbols

Christians don't all hold these prophesies to be literal interpretations. A spiritual conflict between the forces of good and evil is how some people interpret the Battle of Armageddon. The Euphrates' eventual drying up might serve as a metaphor for the destruction of obstacles to evil. People will behave more and more immorally when the global system comes to an end. Whatever the case, whether real or symbolic, it is obvious that the Euphrates is a key location in the Bible's account of God's interactions with mankind throughout history.