Lexical Definition

‎עֵין שֶׁמֶשׁ‎ ʻÊyn Shemesh (ane sheh'-mesh) En-shemesh ^N:N--L
from ‎עַיִן‎ and ‎שֶׁמֶשׁ‎; fountain of the sun

Enshemesh.

• § En-shemesh = "fountain of the sun"
• En-Shemesh, a place in Palestine

1) a spring on the boundary of Judah on the south and Benjamin on the north

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎עֵין שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ‎ proper name, of a location on border between Judah Josh 15:7 (πηγῆς ἡλίου) and Benjamin Josh 18:17 (πηγὴν βαιθσαμυς, ᵐ5^L [πη]γὴν Σαμες); conjectures in Buhl^{Geogr. 98}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

En-shemesh • Spring on the border between Judah and Benjamin

En-shemesh, a spring on the border between the territories of Judah and Benjamin, near Jerusalem.

• A location first mentioned at Jos.15.7;
• only referred to as En-shemesh עֵין שֶׁמֶשׁ.
  

En-shemesh, meaning "spring of the sun," was a spring located on the border between the territories of Judah and Benjamin, near Jerusalem (Joshua 15:7; 18:17). It is mentioned twice in the Bible, both times in the context of describing the boundary lines of these two tribes.

In Joshua 15:7, En-shemesh is listed as one of the landmarks on the northern border of Judah, along with the Stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben, and the valley of Achor. In Joshua 18:17, it is mentioned again as part of the southern border of Benjamin, along with Geliloth and the stone of Bohan.

The exact location of En-shemesh is uncertain, but it was likely situated east of Jerusalem, in the vicinity of the Kidron Valley. Its name, "spring of the sun," may suggest that it was located in a sunny spot or that it had some association with sun worship in Canaanite times.

Apart from its role in demarcating the tribal boundaries, no other details about En-shemesh are provided in the Bible. Its mention in the boundary descriptions helps to establish the geographical extent of Judah and Benjamin's territories during the division of the Promised Land.

All entries for En-shemesh: עֵין שֶׁמֶשׁ