- Ataroth
Ataroth (עטרות) means "crowns" in Hebrew.
In the
Bible , the name Ataroth refers to one of two or perhaps three towns:*A town east of the Jordan in
Gilead , mentioned in Numbers 32:3 and 32:34, in the territory of theTribe of Gad . Ataroth lay within the tribal allotment of Reuben, but was built up by the Gadites during the period of Israelite conquest (Numbers 32:34). This is very probably Khirbet Ataruz, [http://www.nic.gov.jo/pls/anti/siteinfo?v_siteno=2110002&v_main_code=30&v_sub_code=***] north of the Wadi Heidan. TheMesha Stele (Moabite Stone) is likely referring to this town.
* A town west of the Jordan, mentioned in Joshua 16:2, which describes the southern border of the children of Joseph (the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh). This southern border of Joseph would also be the southern border of Ephraim within Joseph, and also be the northern border of Benjamin. This Ataroth is almost surely the same as Ataroth-Addar, mentioned in Joshua 18:13, in a description of the border of Benjamin. A possible location is'Atara , south ofal-Bireh in theWest Bank . Another is Khirbet ed-Darieh.
* A town west of the Jordan, possibly the same as above, mentioned in Joshua 16:7, which gives the borders of Ephraim within Joseph.
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