Midian was a region of the ancient Arabian Peninsula which was located, located on the east shore of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. The region was inhabited by the nomadic Midianites until the time of the judges of Israel, during which time Gideon slew the Midianite kings and princes. The region was sparsely settled after the Israelites massacred the men and every woman who had slept with a man, taking the remaining 32,000 women (virgins) as plunder.