Lexical Definition
בֵּית חוֹרוֹן Bêyth Chôwrôwn (bayth kho-rone') Beth-horon N:N--L
from בַּיִת and חוֹר; house of hollowness
Beth-horon.
- § Beth-horon = "house of hollowness"
- Beth-Choron, the name of two adjoining places in Palestine
1) two towns in Ephraim
1a) Upper Beth-horon-town on the mountains of Ephraim
1b) Lower Beth-horon-town located 800 feet (245 m) lower than Upper Beth-horon
Extended Information
- Beth-horon = "house of hollowness"
- Upper Beth-horon-town on the mountains of Ephraim
- Combined with el.yon (עֶלְיוֹן ", Upper" עֶלְיוֹן)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
בֵּית חוֺרֹן proper name, of a location Josh 10:10; Josh 10:11, also חֹרוֺן ׳בּ, חֹרֹן ׳בּ, & in Chronicles חוֺרוֺן ׳בּ, two cities in Ephraim, lower & upper B.H. (place of a hole or hollow (?) חֹר, perhaps from a wady between the two, or near by; compare also מַעֲלֶה Josh 10:10, מוֺרַד vJosh 10:11 1 Macc 3:16; 3:24) 1Chr 7:24 אֶתבּֿיתחֿוֺרוֺן הַתַּחְתּוֺן וְאֶתהָֿעֶלְיוֺן; further,
a. עֶלְיוֺן ׳ח ׳בּ Josh 16:5 הָעֶלְיוֺן ׳ח ׳בּ 2Chr 8:5.
b. 1 hour west from
a. תַּחְתּוֺן ׳ח ׳בּ Josh 16:3; Josh 18:13; 1Kgs 9:17 הַתַּחְתּוֺן ׳ח ׳בּ 2Chr 8:5 also Josh 10:10; Josh 10:11; Josh 18:14 probably also Josh 21:22; 1Sam 13:18; 1Chr 6:53*; 2Chr 25:13 — modern Beit ±Ûr el-fôqa & et-ta—ta RobBR ii. 250 f. BdPal 21 Surveyiii. 86; — compare הַחֹרֹנִי adjective, of a people Neh 2:10; Neh 2:19; Neh 13:28, only of Sanballat; also dual חֹרֹנַיִם Josh 10:10; Josh 10:11 ᵐ5 & 2Sam 13:34 ᵐ5 We Dr.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Joshua | 10:10 · 10:11 · 16:3 · 16:5 · 18:13 · 18:14 · 21:22 |
| 1 Samuel | 13:18 |
| 2 Samuel | 13:34 |
| 1 Kings | 9:17 |
| 1 Chronicles | 6:53* · 7:24 |
| 2 Chronicles | 8:5 · 25:13 |
| Nehemiah | 2:10 · 2:19 · 13:28 |
Profile
Upper Beth-horon • Town in Ephraim, near Lower Beth-horon.
Upper Beth-horon was a town in Ephraim, near Lower Beth-horon, fortified by Solomon. (Joshua 16:5; 1 Chronicles 7:24; 2 Chronicles 8:5)
- A location first mentioned at Jos.16.5;
- only referred to as Beth-horon_Upper בֵּית חוֹרוֹן עֶלְיוֹן.
Upper Beth-horon was a town located in the territory of Ephraim, near its border with Benjamin. It was situated in the central hill country of Israel, not far from its sister city, Lower Beth-horon.
The name Beth-horon means "house of caves" or "house of hollows" in Hebrew, possibly referring to the topography of the area. Upper Beth-horon was located at a higher elevation than Lower Beth-horon and was connected to it by a road known as the Ascent of Beth-horon.
In Joshua 16:5, Upper Beth-horon is mentioned as part of the description of Ephraim's border. The town was rebuilt by Sheerah, the daughter of Ephraim, along with Lower Beth-horon (1 Chronicles 7:24).
During the reign of King Solomon, Upper Beth-horon was one of the cities he fortified as part of his building projects (2 Chronicles 8:5). This fortification was likely due to the town's strategic location along the road connecting the coastal plain with the interior of the country.
Although Upper Beth-horon is mentioned less frequently in the Bible than Lower Beth-horon, its proximity to the latter and its inclusion in the list of fortified cities suggest that it played a significant role in the defense and administration of the region.
Today, the ancient site of Upper Beth-horon is identified with the modern Palestinian village of Beit Ur al-Foqa.
All entries for Beth-horon Upper: בֵּית חוֹרוֹן