Bible Dictionary
Beth-arabah
A town in the wilderness of Judah near the Jordan and Dead Sea, later included among Benjamin’s cities. Its exact site is uncertain.
Definition
Beth-arabah was a town in the wilderness near the Jordan and the Dead Sea, on the border of Judah and Benjamin. It was counted among Judah’s cities and later among Benjamin’s cities; it is also called Arabah.
Biblical Usage
Beth-arabah appears in the territorial lists of Judah and Benjamin. It is described as being in the wilderness of Judah and on the border between the two tribal territories.
Historical Background
The site has not been identified. The wilderness of Judah is described as the barren land west of the Dead Sea.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
House of the desert, one of the six cities of Judah, situated in the sunk valley of the Jordan and Dead Sea (Josh. 18:22). In Josh. 15:61 it is said to have been “in the wilderness.” It was afterwards included in the towns of Benjamin. It is called Arabah (Josh. 18:18).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>beth-ar'-a-ba (beth ha-`arabhah; Baitharaba, "place of the Arabah"):</p><p>(1) One of the 6 cities of Judah "in the wilderness" (Jos 15:61), on the borders of Benjamin and Judah (Jos 15:6; 18:18 Septuagint). "The wilderness of Judah" is the barren land West of the Dead Sea. Beth-arabah is not yet identified.</p><p>(2) One of the cities of Benjamin (Jos 18:22). Septuagint (Codex Vaticanus) reads Baithabara, and this may be correct. The names are early confounded.</p><p>See BETHABARA.</p>