City in Lower Egypt, where Pharaoh had a house, and whither in disobedience the people of Judah fled after the murder of Gedaliah, taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them. Jeremiah prophesied that the king of Babylon should set his throne in that city and smite the land of Egypt (Jer. 2:16; Jer. 43:7-9; Jer. 44:1; Jer. 46:14; Ezek. 30:18).
It has been identified with the ancient Daphnæ, identified with ruins at Tell Defenneh, about 30° 52' N, 32° 7' E. During some explorations there the name of a mound was asked, and it was said to be Kasr Bint el Yehudi, “the palace of the Jew’s daughter.” This agrees with Jeremiah 43:6, which says that the king’s daughters were carried to Tahpanhes by Johanan. On digging among the ruins many relics of Grecian pottery were found, there evidently having been a Greek colony on the spot at some period, and this would account for the Greek name Daphnæ.