Bible Location
Meaning: their bird · 2 cross references · Modern-day map available
This Etam entry refers to the Judean-Simeonite stronghold or cleft associated with Samson, not the Exodus station Etham. It is important because it belongs to the rugged landscape of Samson's conflicts with the Philistines. First appears in Judg 15:8.1
Place meaning
their bird
Coordinates
31.74, 35.05
First appears
Judg 15:8
AI summary: Etam on this page should be kept separate from the wilderness station of the same name. Judges places it in the rough hill-country terrain where Samson withdraws after striking the Philistines, making it part of the geography of solitary strength and conflict. The cross references present this Etam as a stronghold of retreat and confrontation.1
Place meaning
their bird
Latitude
31.74
Longitude
35.05
Bible references
2
A village of the tribe of Simeon (1 Chr. 4:32). Into some cleft (“top,” A.V.,; R.V., “cleft”) of a rock here Samson retired after his slaughter of the Philistines (Judg. 15:8, 11). It was a natural stronghold. It has been identified with Beit ’Atab, west of Bethlehem, near Zorah and Eshtaol. On the crest of a rocky knoll, under the village, is a long tunnel, which may be the “cleft” in which Samson hid. 3
Source note: this 1893 dictionary language reflects its period and may be culturally insensitive or outdated. It is presented as historical source material, not as ai-BIBLE’s language, interpretation, or endorsement.
AI-assisted summary prepared for ai-BIBLE and stored as page content, based on dictionary material, place metadata, and linked Bible cross references.
Alistair de Blacquiere-Clarkson, “ai-BIBLE Bible Names JSON Factsheet Aggregating Material from Smith’s Bible Dictionary & Hitcocks’s New and Complete Analysis of the Bible.” ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
M.G.Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
Robert Rouse, “Theographic Bible Information,” Theographic-Bible-Metadata, 2020, https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata.