Abel Hashittim means "meadow of the acacia trees." It was the final campsite of Israel in the plains of Moab, just east of the Jordan River, before they entered Canaan.
Abel Shittim marks a pivotal moment in salvation history — the last encampment before crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. It was here that Israel fell into sexual immorality and idolatry with Moabite women (Numbers 25), bringing a devastating plague. God's discipline was swift and severe. Yet it was also from here that Joshua sent spies into Jericho (Joshua 2), beginning the conquest. The acacia wood from this region was later used to build the Tabernacle — dead wood transformed into a dwelling place for God.