Mount Of The Valley
LocationsGeographical Setting
A topographical descriptor in the Hebrew Bible referring to a mountain situated within or overlooking a valley, specifically associated with the location of Zereth-shahar.
What is the meaning of Mount Of The Valley in the Bible?
The phrase 'mount of the valley' (behar ha'emeq) functions as a geographical locator for the town of Zereth-shahar in Joshua 13:19. While scholars such as Cheyne have proposed that this designation refers to a peak situated east of the Jordan Valley, the exact topographical identification remains unresolved due to insufficient archaeological and textual evidence.
SIGNIFICANCE
Recognizing the ambiguity of this location highlights the challenges in mapping the precise territorial boundaries of the Transjordanian tribes. It encourages readers to view the biblical landscape not as a fixed modern map, but as a collection of relative landmarks that define the extent of tribal inheritance, even when specific sites cannot be definitively identified.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
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Source Attribution
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.