Difference between revisions of "Bethshemesh"

<p> ("house of the sun".) </p> <p> '''1.''' A town on the N. boundary of Judah (&nbsp;Joshua 15:10), itself low in situation. A "valley" of wheat fields is mentioned accordingly as nigh (&nbsp;1 Samuel 6:13). Now [[Ain]] Shems, on the N.W. slopes of the mountains of Judah, "a low plateau at the junction of two fine plains" (Robinson), two miles from the Philistian plain, and seven from Ekron. From the latter was the road to Bethshemesh, on which the [[Philistines]] sent back the ark to [[Israel]] after its fatal stay among them. In the field of Joshua the [[Bethshemite]] was "the great Abel" (the [[Septuagint]] reads Aben "stone"; others retaining [[Abel]] explain it "the stone of mourning," compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 6:19) whereon the ark was set (&nbsp;1 Samuel 6:18). [[Providence]] fitly arranged that [[Bethshemesh]] being a priests' city (&nbsp;Joshua 21:16; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 1:59) had [[Levites]] and priests ready on the spot duly to receive the ark and sacrifice before it. </p> <p> [[Curiosity]] tempted many to stare at (not necessarily "into") the ark beneath the cover; compare &nbsp;Numbers 4:20; &nbsp;2 Samuel 6:6-7. So God smote in the proportion of 50 out of the 1,000, i.e. one twentieth instead of one tenth of the population, as sometimes; seventy men in all, out of the population of Bethshemesh, which amounted to 1,400 in this view. The numbers in the English Bible are evidently a mistake (&nbsp;1 Samuel 6:19). [[Josephus]] (Ant. 6:4) makes it only 70. It was one of Solomon's commissariat districts under Bendekar (margin &nbsp;1 Kings 4:9). Here [[Joash]] king of Israel encountered and made prisoner of [[Amaziah]] of Judah (&nbsp;2 Kings 14:11-13; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 25:21-23). In Ahaz' reign the Philistines occupied Bethshemesh (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 28:18.) Ir-shemesh was the older name (compare &nbsp;Joshua 15:10; &nbsp;Joshua 19:41; &nbsp;Joshua 19:43; &nbsp;1 Kings 4:9). Harcheres, "mount of the Sun." was another name for Bethshemesh (&nbsp;Judges 1:35.) </p> <p> '''2.''' A city on Issachar's border (&nbsp;Joshua 19:22). </p> <p> '''3.''' A fenced city of [[Naphtali]] (&nbsp;Joshua 19:38; &nbsp;Judges 1:33). The inhabitants were not expelled, but became Israel's tributaries. </p> <p> '''4.''' An idol sanctuary in Egypt (&nbsp;Jeremiah 43:13), the Greek Heliopolis, [[Egyptian]] On, E. of the Nile, a few miles N. of [[Memphis]] (&nbsp;Genesis 41:45). The statue in honor of the sun rose to 60 cubits, the base was 10, above there was a miter a thousand pounds weight. These many towns of this name show how widespread the worship of the sun had been. </p>

<p> 1. A [[Levitical]] town on the north border of Judah, whither the ark was miraculously guided by God when sent back by the Philistines from Ekron, and where the people were smitten for looking into it. Here Amaziah king of Judah was defeated by [[Jehoash]] king of Israel. It was afterwards occupied by the Philistines. &nbsp;Joshua 15:10; &nbsp;Joshua 21 :16; &nbsp;1 Samuel 6:9-20; &nbsp;1 Kings 4:9; &nbsp;2 Kings 14:11,13; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 6:59; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 25:21,23; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 28:18 . Identified with Ain <i> Shems, </i> 34 59' E 31 45' N . </p> <p> 2. [[Border]] town of Issachar, &nbsp;Joshua 19:22 . Identified by some with Ain <i> esh Shemsiyeh, </i> 35 31' E 32 24' N . </p> <p> 3. [[Fenced]] city of Naphtali. &nbsp;Joshua 19:38; &nbsp;Judges 1:33 . </p> <p> 4. [[Idolatrous]] temple in Egypt. &nbsp;Jeremiah 43:13 . Supposed from its signification, 'house of the sun,' to be the same as On, or Heliopolis, associated with sun-worship. </p>