Thebez

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Thebez . A fortified city, in the reduction of which Abimelech met his death (  Judges 9:50 ,   2 Samuel 11:21 ). It is described by Eusebius and Jerome as 13 miles from Neapolis, on the road to Scythopolis. This is almost certainly the present Tûbâs , a prosperous village in a fruitful open valley, 10 miles N.E. of Nâblus , on the ancient highroad to Beisân .

E. W. G. Masterman.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The'bez. (Conspicuous). A place memorable, for the death of the brave, Abimelech,  Judges 9:50, was known to Eusebius and Jerome, in whose time, it was situated "in the district of Neapolis," 13 Roman miles therefrom, on the road to Scythopolis. There it still is, its name - Tubas - hardly changed.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Hebrew Teebeets , "brightness." A town near Shechem. Besieged by Abimelech. (See Abimelech .) A woman with a millstone, from the tower which was the last, stronghold not yet taken, killed him ( Judges 9:50-55;  2 Samuel 11:21).

Morrish Bible Dictionary

City in Ephraim, It was taken by Abimelech except the tower, from which he was killed by a piece of a millstone. Thus the besieged and the besieger were all punished in their sin.  Judges 9:50-54;  2 Samuel 11:21 . Identified with Tubas , 32 19' N, 35 22' E .

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Thebez ( Thç'Bez ) Brightness. The town where Abimelech was killed.  Judges 9:50;  2 Samuel 11:21. It is now Tubas, a place 11 miles northeast of Shechem. Nablûs.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

An Ephraimite town near Sheshem, at the siege of which Abimelech was killed,  Judges 9:50-55;  2 Samuel 11:21 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Judges 9:50-53 2 Samuel 11:21

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Judges 9:50-55

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Tebets', תֵּבֵוֹ , Conspicuous ; Sept Θὴβης [v.r. Θαίβαις ] and Θαμασί ; Vulg. Thebes ) , a place mentioned in the Bible only as the scene of tihe death of the usurper Abimelech ( Judges 9:50). After suffocating a thousand of the Shechemites in the hold of Baal-berith by the smoke of green wood, he went off with his band to Thebez, whither, no doubt, the rumor of his inhumanity had preceded him. The town was soon taken, all but one tower, into which the people of the place crowded, and which was strong enough to hold out. To this he forced his way, and was about to repeat the barbarous stratagem, which had succeeded so well at Shechem, when a fragment of millstone descended and put an end to his turbulent career. The story was well known in Israel, and gave the point to a familiar maxim in the camp ( 2 Samuel 11:21). The geographical position of Thebez is not stated; but the narrative leaves the impression that it was not far distant from Shechem. Eusebius defines its position with his usual minuteness. He says, "It is in the borders of Neapolis … at the thirteenth mile on the road to Scythopolis" ( Onooast. s.v. "Thebes" ). Just about the distance indicated, on the line of the old Roman highway, is the modern village of Tubas, in which it is not difficult to recognize the Thebez of Scripture. It was known to Hap-Parchi in the 13th century (Zunz, Benjaminz, 2, 426), and is mentioned occasionally by later travelers (Schwarz, Palest. p. 152). It stands on a hillside at the northern end of a plain surrounded by rocky mountains. The hill is skirted by fine olive groves, and the whole environs bear the marks of industry and prosperity. It is defective, however, in water; so that the inhabitants are dependent on the rain-water they keep in cisterns, and when this supply fails, they must bring it from a stream, Fari'a, an hour distant (Robinson, Bibl. Res. 3, 305). Some large hewn stones in the walls of the modern houses, and a number of deep wells and cisterns in and around the village, are the only traces of antiquity now remaining (Van de Velde, Travels, 2, 335; Porter, Handbook, p. 348).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thē´bez ( תּבץ , tēbhēc , "'brightness"; Codex Vaticanus Θηβής , Thēbḗs  ; Codex Alexandrinus Θαιβαίς , Thaibaı́s ): A city in Mt. Ephraim which refused submission to Abimelech when he set up as king of Israel. After the reduction of Shechem he turned his arms against Thebez. There was a strong tower within the city - the citadel - into which all the inhabitants gathered for safety, climbing onto the roof of the tower. Abimelech incautiously venturing near the tower, a woman cast an upper millstone upon his head and broke his skull. Fearing the shame of perishing by the hand of a woman, he persuaded his armor-bearer to thrust him through (  Judges 9:50 ff). The incident is alluded to in   2 Samuel 11:21 . Eusebius, Onomasticon places it 13 Roman miles from Neapolis ( Nāblus ) on the road to Scythopolis ( Beisān ). There is no doubt that it is represented by Tubas. This is a village situated in a district of considerable fertility, about 10 miles from Nāblus . There are many olive trees. The rain is captured and led to rockcut cisterns, whence the village draws its water-supply. According to the Samaritans the tomb of Neby Ṭoba marks the grave of the patriarch Asher.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

The´bez, a place near Shechem, where Abimelech met his death . It seems to be the same with the place now called Tubas.