Places in the Bible Today:

Beth-arabah

Data

Translated NamesArabah, Beth-arabah, Beth Arabah
Typesettlement
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

3 Possible Identifications

  1. Ain el Gharabeh (modern): 40% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Ain el GharabehAin el Gharabeh

  2. Rujm el Bahr (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Rujm el BahrRujm el Bahr

  3. Tell Muhalhal (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Tell MuhalhalTell Muhalhal

Verses (4)

Josh 15:6, 15:61, 18:18, 18:22

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Biblemapper.com236
Logos FactbookBeth-arabah
OpenBible.info (2007)Beth-arabah
OpenBible.infoa3f8916 (Beth-arabah)
TIPNRBeth-arabah@Jos.15.6
UBS Names Databaseot ID_492
WikipediaCities in the Book of Joshua (nonunique url)

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Beth-arabah (place)
  2. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): Beth-arabah
  3. Carta Bible Atlas, 5th Edition (2011)
  4. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): Beth-Arabah
  5. ESV Bible Atlas (2010)
  6. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Beth-arabah
  7. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (2011): Beth-arabah
  8. HarperCollins Concise Atlas of the Bible (1991)
  9. Hess, Joshua (1996): table 10
  10. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  11. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Beth-Arabah
  12. IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (2000): Josh 15:61-62
  13. McKinny, Historical Geography of the Administrative Division of Judah (2014): pages 57, 297
  14. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2014): Beth Arabah
  15. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988): Beth-arabah
  16. Reader’s Digest Atlas of the Bible (1981): Beth-arabah
  17. Rogerson, New Atlas of the Bible (1985): page 105
  18. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001): Beth-arabah
  19. Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956): Beth-arabah
  20. Woudstra, Joshua (1981): 15:61-62
  21. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Beth-arabah
  22. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  23. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)
  24. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (2009): Josh 15:5
  25. Zondervan Pictorial Bible Atlas (1972): page 140

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, Ain el Gharabeh), 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

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.