Beth-Jeshimoth

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

BETH-JESHIMOTH (‘the place of the desert’). The S. limit of the encampment on ‘the plains of Moab’ at the close of the journeyings (  Numbers 33:49 ). In   Joshua 12:8 it is mentioned as in the S. of the Arabah towards the Dead Sea. In   Joshua 13:20 it is assigned to Reuben; and in   Ezekiel 25:9 it is spoken of as belonging to Moab. Eusebius places it 10 miles S. of Jericho. Some ruins and a well at the N.E. end of the Dead Sea bear the name of Suwaimeh , which may be a modification of Jeshimoth  ; and this situation suits the Biblical narrative.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

 Beth-jesh'imoth.  (house of deserts).  Beth-jesh'imoth or  Jes'imoth, a town or place east of Jordan, on the lower level at the south end, of the Jordan valley,  Numbers 33:49, and named with Ashdod-pisgah and Beth-peor.

It was one of the limits of the encampment of Israel, before crossing the Jordan. Later, it was allotted to Reuben,  Joshua 12:3;  Joshua 13:20, but came at last, into the hands of Moab, and formed one of the cities which were "the glory of the country."  Ezekiel 25:9.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("house of the wastes".) A town E. of Jordan in the "deserts" of Moab; last but one of the stations in Israel's journeys in the wilderness ( Numbers 33:49). Originally belonging to Sihon's kingdom; assigned to Reuben ( Joshua 12:3;  Joshua 13:20); afterward it became "the glory" of Moab ( Ezekiel 25:9). According to Eusebius, ten miles S. from opposite Jericho, on the Dead Sea.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A city of Reuben, taken from the Moabites,  Numbers 33:49   Joshua 12:3   13:20; but retaken by them after the captivity,  Ezekiel 25:9 . It lay not far east of the mouth of the Jordan.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Numbers 33:49 Numbers 33:49 Joshua 12:3  Joshua 13:20 Ezekiel 25:9

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Numbers 33:49 Joshua 12:3

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

or (as it is less correctly Anglicized in  Numbers 33:49) Beth-jes'imoth (Heb.  Beyth ha-Yeshimoth' ,  בֵּית  הִיְשִׁימוֹת [in  Numbers 33:49,  בֵּית  הִיְשִׁמֹת ],  house of the wastes; Sept.  Αἰσιμώθ [v. r.  Αἰσιμώθ ], but  Βηθασιμώθ in  Joshua 13:20, and  Βηθιασιμούθ [v. r.  Ι᾿ασιμούθ,  Βηθασιμούθ ] in  Ezekiel 25:9), a town or place not far east of Jordan, near Abel-Shittim, in the "deserts" ( עֲרְבֹת ) of Moab  — that is, on the lower level at the south end of the Jordan valley ( Numbers 33:49)-and named with Ashdothpisgah and Beth-Peor. It was one of the limits of the encampment of Israel before crossing the Jordan. It lay within the territory of Sihon, king of the Amorites ( Joshua 12:3), and was allotted to Reuben ( Joshua 13:20), but came at last into the hands of Moab, and formed one of the cities which were "the glory of the country" ( Ezekiel 25:9). According to Eusebius and Jerome (Onomast. s.v.  Βηθασιμούθ, Bethsimuth) it was still called by the same name ( τόποι  τῇς  Ι᾿σμούθ, Domus Isimuth) , being "opposite Jericho, 10 miles to the south, near the Dead Sea," meaning apparently southeast, and across the Jordan. It is evidently the  Besimoth ( Βησιμώθ ) captured by Placidus, the general of Vespasian (Josephus,  War, 4, 7, 6). Schwarz ( Palest. p. 228) states that there are still "the ruins of a  Beth-Jisimuth situated on the north- easternmost point of the Dead Sea, half a mile from the Jordan;" a locality which, although reported by no other traveler, cannot be far from correct (Van de Velde,  Memoir, p. 296).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

beth -jesh´i -moth (  בּית הישׁמת , bēth ha - yeshı̄mōth  ; Codex Vaticanus,  Ἁισιμώθ , Haisimō̇th  ; Codex Alexandrinus,  Ασιμώθ , Asimō̇th , and other variants (see DB , under the word)): Mentioned as the point in the south from which the camp of Israel stretched to Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab ( Numbers 33:49 ). In  Joshua 12:3 the way to Beth-jeshimoth is described as South of the Arabah, near the Dead Sea. It was in the lot assigned to Reuben (  Joshua 13:20 ), At what times and how long it was actually held by Israel we do not know; but it appears in  Ezekiel 25:9 as belonging to Moab. It may be identical with Khirbet es - Suweimeh , where there are some ruins and a well, about 3 miles East of the mouth of the Jordan.