Places in the Bible Today:

Atharim

Data

Translated NameAtharim
Typesroad or settlement
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

4 Possible Identifications

  1. road between Kadesh-barnea and Arad (modern): 40% confidence

    1. panorama of hills along the road between Kadesh-barnea and Aradroad between Kadesh-barnea and Arad

  2. not a proper name (common noun for "way of the spies"): 20% confidence
  3. road between the Dead Sea and Arad (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. aerial panorama looking east approximately along the road between the Dead Sea and Aradroad between the Dead Sea and Arad

  4. another name for Tamar 2 (ancient): less than 10% confidence. It may be:

    1. ruins at En HazevaEn Hazeva

    2. ruins at Mezad TamarMezad Tamar

    3. satellite view of the region around En TamarEn Tamar

Verses (1)

Num 21:1

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Logos FactbookAtharim
OpenBible.info (2007)Atharim
OpenBible.infoa2c34ce (Atharim)
TIPNRAtharim@Num.21.1
UBS Names Databaseot ID_430

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Atharim (place)
  2. Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (1990): Atarim (Way of)
  3. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): Atharim
  4. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): Atharim
  5. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Atharim
  6. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003): Atharim
  7. IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (2000): Num 21:1
  8. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001): Atharim
  9. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)
  10. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (2009): Num 21:1

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, for example, 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

Chmee2, Godot13, Bukvoed, Oren Rozen, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019

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.