Places in the Bible Today:

Athach

Data

Translated NamesAthach, Athak
Typesettlement
Notespossibly attributed to a scribal error
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

3 Possible Identifications

  1. another name for Ether 1 (ancient): 45% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Khirbet el AterKhirbet el Ater

  2. Khirbet el Ater (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Khirbet el AterKhirbet el Ater

  3. Khirbet Attir (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. ruins at Khirbet AttirKhirbet Attir

Verses (1)

1Sam 30:30

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Logos FactbookAthach
OpenBible.info (2007)Athach
OpenBible.infoa0e21ff (Athach)
TIPNRAthach@1Sa.30.30
UBS Names Databaseot ID_2353

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Athach (place)
  2. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): Athach
  3. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): Athach
  4. Expositor’s Bible Commentary (1984): 1Sam 30:26-31
  5. Gordon, I and II Samuel (1986): 1Sam 30:29
  6. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Athach
  7. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  8. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Athach
  9. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2014): Athach
  10. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  11. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988): Athach
  12. Reader’s Digest Atlas of the Bible (1981): Athach
  13. Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956): Athach
  14. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others (in this case, another name for Ether 1), then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Thumbnail Image Credits

Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019, Shaofr

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.