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The Zarqa River (Arabic: نهر الزرقاء) is the second largest tributary of the lower Jordan River, after the Yarmouk River. It is the third largest river in the region by annual discharge, and its watershed encompasses the most densely populated areas east of the Jordan River. It rises in springs near Amman, and flows through a deep and broad valley (which is identified with the biblical Jabbok River) into the Jordan, at a point 1090m lower. The river is heavily polluted and its restoration is one of the top priorities for the Jordanian Ministry of the Environment.

Etymology

The modern Arabic name, Zarqa (زرقاء), means "the blue river". The Hebrew name Jabbok means derives from the word "baqoq", which means "to flow" or "pour out".

Biblical Jabbok

The Zarqa River is identified with the biblical river Jabbok (Hebrew: יבוק). The Biblical Jacob crossed the Jabbok on his way back to Israel, after leaving Harran. It leads west into the Sukkot Valley, from where one crosses over the Jordan and can easily reach Shechem, as Jacob eventually did. The biblical cities of Zaretan and Adam are also at the mouth of the valley.

The river is first mentioned in connection with the meeting of Jacob and Esau, and with the struggle of Jacob with the angel (Genesis 32:23 et seq.). It was the boundary separating the territory of Reuben and Gad from that of Ammon, the latter being described as lying along the Jabbok (Numbers 21:24; Deuteronomy 2:37, 3:16; Joshua 12:2). The territory of Sihon is described as extending "from Arnon unto Jabbok" (Numbers 21:24), and it was reclaimed later by the King of Ammon (Judges 11:13, 22). Eusebius places the river between Gerasa and Philadelphia.

Course

The headwaters of the Zarqa begin just Northeast of Amman, rising from a spring named Ain Ghazal ("Gazelle spring"). The river flows to the north before heading west. Rising on the eastern side of the mountains of Gilead, it runs a course of about 65 miles in a wild and deep ravine before flowing into the Jordan River between Gennesaret and the Dead Sea, at a point 1090m below its origin.At its higher reaches, the river banks are mostly steep and canyon-like. Near Ain Ghazal, two tributary wadis join the the river, and it open up into a shallow basin.

The river is perennial, but with a very low base flow of about 2-3 mcm/month during the summer months, and as much as 5-8 mcm/month during the rainy winter months. This makes it the second largest tributary of the lower Jordan River, after the Yarmouk River, and the third largest river in the region by annual discharge. Irregular floods after rain storms may increase the flow to as much as 54mcm. The median annual flow is 63.3 mcm. The total basin area is 3,900 square km, the largest in Jordan. The King Talal Dam was built across the lower Zarqa in 1970, and created a reservoir with a capacity of 55 mcm, later (1987) increased to 86 mcm. The reservoir supplies water for municipal use in the Amman region.

Natural History

Archaeological finds of charcoaled remains indicate that poplar and tamarisk used to grow along the banks of the Zarqa, with forests of wild oak growing on the hillsides. The area was rich with fauna, and 45 distinct animal species have been identified, half of them wild animals. Domesticated goats were the most common, and gazelles were the most frequently occurring wild animal species. Today, the banks are cultivated with fruit orchards and vegetable fields. Olive trees are also found along the river's banks.

History

Ain Ghazal, the spring the feeds the Zarqa river, is a major archaeological site, dating back to the Neolithic period. It was continuously occupied for more than two thousand years, and the earliest finds date to 7200 BCE. Zarqa, Jordan's second largest city, is built on the banks of the Zarqa River, and is the largest settlement along its course. Zarqa was founded in 1902 by Chechen immigrants. Its population grew rapidly with an influx of Palestinian refugees who fled the West bank during the Six-day war.

Environmental concerns

The Zarqa river is highly polluted. In many areas, raw sewage flows untreated directly into the river through dry riverbeds (wadis), contaminating it and creating a stench which has been a cause of numerous complaints, particularly during the summer months. . The river's watershed encompasses the most densely populated areas east of the Jordan River, and it flows through an industrialized area that is home to more than 52% of Jordan's industrial plants, including the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company. During the summer months, treated domestic and industrial waste-water compose nearly all of the flow, and substantially degrade the water quality. Coupled with over-extraction of water from the underground aquifer and the naturally low base flow of the Zarqa, this has created a major problem, described as one of Jordan's "environmental black spots" and has made rehabilitation of the Zarqa a top priority for the Jordanian Ministry of the Environment. The restoration project is estimated to cost $30 million dollars.

Notes

1. ^ Roadmap for Restoration of the Zarqa River Laid Out
2. Placenames of the World, Adrian Room, p. 42, McFarland, 2006
3. The Oxford History of the Biblical World, Michael David Coogan, p. 10, Oxford University Press, 2001
4. Onomasticon, ed. Ferdinand Larsow and Gustav Parthey, pp. 222, 224, Berlin, 1862.
5. Middle East Patterns, Colbert C. Held, Mildred McDonald Held, p.291 Westview Press, 2000
6. Rollefson, Gary O, Ain Ghazal: An Early Neolithic Community in Highland Jordan, near Amman, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 255 (Summer, 1984)
7. ^ Zarqa River
8. GIS-hydrological models for managing water resources in the Zarqa River basin, N. Al-Abed, F. Abdulla and A. Abu Khyarah, Environmental Geology, Volume 47, Number 3 / February, 2005
9. The Town of 'Ain Ghazal
10. Reclamation’s history of the Jordan River Basin in Jordan, a focus on agriculture: past trends, actual farming systems and future prospective.
11. The Chechens, Amjad M. Jaimoukha, p.231, Routledge, 2005
12. Ministry Pledges to Put End to Zarqa River Pollution
13. Jordan Times, 18 August 2008, Local, international experts to examine polluted Zarqa River
14. Jordan: USD30 million estimated cost for Zarqa River Basin Restoration

References

• Room, Adrian (2nd Ed. 2005). Placenames Of The World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786422483. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Coogan, Michael David (March 2001). The Oxford History of the Biblical World. Oxford University Press. p. 508. ISBN 0195139372.

• Larsow, Ferdinand (1862). Onomasticon. Berlin.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Held, Colbert C. (3rd edition, November 1, 2000). Middle East Patterns: Places, Peoples, and Politics. Westview Press. p. 688. ISBN 0813334888. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

32°11′30″N 35°48′06″E / 32.19167°N 35.80167°E / 32.19167; 35.80167

• Environment of Jordan
• Rivers of Jordan
• Hebrew Bible rivers