Zaretan

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Zaretan, Zarthan, Zeredatha  Joshua 3:16.

1.' Adam, the city by which the upper Jordan waters remained during Israel's passage, was "by the side of Zaretan." The name still appears in the Arabic 'Αin Ζahrah , three miles W. of Beisan . The Tell Sarem is a large mound three miles S. of Betsan . Much clay is found between this and Dabbet Sakut or Succoth. Adam means "red earth". Perhaps this Zaretan is identical with...

2. The place in the circle of the Jordan between which and Succoth. ( 1 Kings 7:46). Solomon cast in clay the brazen articles for the temple; in  2 Chronicles 4:17, Zeredatha. Knobel identifies Zarthan with Kurn Sartabeh. (See Adam .)

Not far from this spot was apparently the "house of the ferry," which gave its name to Bethabara. Bethabarah is evidently the modern ford 'Abarah (i.e. passage) just above where the Julud river, flowing down the valley of Jezreel and by Beisan (Bethshean) debouches into the Jordan; here only the name is found, and nowhere else. Bethabara, "the house of the ferry," was beyond Jordan; but the ferry or ford was doubtless the place of Christ's baptism.

The name and site did not originate from Christian tradition, for this makes the fords of Jericho the scene of John's baptisms ( John 1:28). Christ could not possibly have traveled in one day ( John 2:1)  John 2:80 miles from the vicinity of Jericho to Cana; but He could easily have traveled 22 miles from the ford Abarah to Kerr Kenna (Cana); no place on Jordan is nearer or more accessible to Cana. If with oldest manuscripts we read "Bethany,"  John 1:28, the name will connect itself with Bashan and Batanaea, and the Abarah ford is near the hills of Bashan, whereas the Jericho fords are far away. (Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, July 1878, p. 120-121.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Called also Zartnah and Zarthan,  1 Kings 4:12   7:46; a town on the west side of the Jordan, near Bethshean and north of Succoth. The reflux of the Jordan at the crossing of the Israelites was marked as far north as Zaretan,  Joshua 3:16 . See Zereda

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Zaretan ( Zăr'E-Tăn ).  Joshua 3:16. R. V., "Zarethan." See Zereda.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 3:16,17 Psalm 104:3

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Zar'etan.  Joshua 3:16.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 3:16

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Tsarethan', צ רְתָן , perhaps splendor; in Joshua Sept. wholly omits; Vulg. Satthan; in  1 Kings 7:46 Sept. Σιαράμ v.r. Σειρά ; Vulg. Sarthan; A. V. ‘ "Zarthan;" with ה directive, Zarethandnah, ז רְתָנָה , in 4:12; Sept. Σαρθάν v.r. Σεραρθάν and Ε᾿Σλιανθάν ; Vulg. Sarthana; A. V. "Zartanah"), a town or locality mentioned by this name three times, and apparently several times also under similar names. It' is first named in the account of the passage of the Jordan by the Israelites (Joshua 3, 16) as defining the position of the city Adam, which was beside ( מַצָּד ) it. It is next mentioned in the list of Solomon's commissariat districts as "close to" ( אֵצֶל ) Bethshean, that is, in the upper part of the Jordan valley and "beneath" ( מַתִּחִת לְ 8) Jezreel ( 1 Kings 4:12). It is again mentioned in connection with Succoth as a clayey place where Solomon cast metal in the circle ( כַּכָּר , kikkar, "plain," i.e. Ghor ) of the Jordan (7, 46). In the parallel passage to this last ( 2 Chronicles 4:17) ZEREDATHAH (See Zeredathah) (q.v.) is substituted for Zarthan, and this again is not impossibly identical with the ZERERAH (See Zererah) (q.v.) of the story of Gideon ( Judges 7:22). All these spots agree in proximity to the Jordan, and the associated places somewhat aid us in discovering the general locality. Bethshean is the present Beisan, Succoth is probably the present Salkut, and Adam is; doubtless, represented by the modern Adamieh ford. Van de Velde ( Memoir, 1354) inclines to identify Zaretan with Surtabah, a lofty and isolated hill which projects from the main highlands into the Jordan valley, about seventeen miles north of Jericho (comp. De Saulcy, Dead Sea, 2, 31); but the names are not closely alike, and this peak has another ancient appellation. (See Sartaba). Schwarz probably refers to the same spot when he declares that the name should be read Sartaph, and that the town in question was so called "because it lay near Mount Sartaf, five English miles west of the Jordan" ( Palest. p. 162). Mr. Drake (in the Quar. Report of the "Palestine Explor. Fund," Jan. 1875, p. 31) thinks that the reading Siaram ( Σιαράμ ) of the Alexandrian MS. at  1 Kings 7:46 points to a " Tell Sarem, a very conspicuuiils and unusually large mound three miles south of Beisan;"but this reading is very precarious. According to Tristram (Bible Places, p. 228), "the name lingers in Ain Zahrah and Tulull Zahrah, three miles west of Beisan, indicating that Zaretan was the designation of a district rather than a place."