Berothah

Bero’thah. (toward the wells). and Bero’-tha-i. (my wells). The first of these two names, Berothah, is given by Ezekiel, Eze 47:16, in connection with Hahlath and Damascus as forming part of the northern boundary of the Promised Land. The second of these two names, Berothai, is mentioned, 2Sa 8:8, in the same connection. The well-known city Beirut (Berytus), naturally suggests itself as identical with one at least of the names; but in each instance, the circumstances of the case seem to require a position farther east. They were probably in the vicinity of the springs near the present Hasbeya.

BEROTHAI or BEROTHAH. (See BEROTHAI.)

(Heb, id. בֵּרוֹתָה, as if meaning “to Beroth,” or toward the wells; Sept. in most copies has a mass of undistinguishable names, but some read Βηρωθά or Βηρωθάμ; Vulg. Berotha).

[Be’rothah]

Place mentioned as a north border of the land when it will again be inhabited by the twelve tribes. Eze 47:16. Supposed by some to be Beyrout.[Beirut]

bē̇-rō´tha (Eze 47:16: בּרותה, bērōthāh; Septuagint Codex Vaticanus, Ἀβθηρά, Abthērá; or BEROTHAI 2Sa 8:8; בּרתי, bērōthai, where for מבּרתי rof ere, mibbērōthai Septuagint reads ek tō̇n eklektō̇n póleōn, “from the select cities”): Probably two forms of the same name. Eze 47:16 places it on the ideal northern frontier of Israel, between Damascus and Hamath. According to 2Sa 8:8 it was a city of Hadadezer, king of Zobah. In the parallel passage (1Ch 18:8) Cun is given in place of Berothai. Its site is unknown. Ewald connected it with Beirût (so also apparently H. P. Smith, ICC, “Samuel,” 307), but Ezekiel’s description excludes this view. Others have sought it in the Wady Brissa, in the East slope of Lebanon, North of Baalbec. A more plausible conjecture identifies it with Bereitān (Brithēn), a village somewhat South of Baalbec (Baedeker, Pal³, 369). Possibly, however, the ideal northern frontier line should be drawn farther south. See HETHLON; ZEDAD; ZOBAH.