Esthaol (Bible)

Esthaol or Eshtaol, in Hebrew: אֶשְׁתָּאֹל (Eshṭa'ol), in Ancient Greek: Εσθαολ (Esthaol), is a town mentioned in the Bible. It corresponds to a locality near Sar'a, approximately 20 km west of Jerusalem.

## History

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### Biblical text

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The place is mentioned seven times in the Masoretic text.[1][2][3][4][5] In the manuscripts of the Septuagint, there are sometimes competing forms, such as Ασταωλ (Astaol).[6] According to the biblical text, Samson is said to come from its vicinity.[1][2][7] Additionally, part of the tribe of Dan is said to have left this town to settle elsewhere.[5][7]

### Analysis

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The etymology of the term suggests that it may have been a place for consulting oracles, although this is not clear.[7] The locality was situated in the vicinity of the later city of Zorah/Sar'a.[7][8][9][10]

## References

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1. ^ a b "Josué - Chapitre 15 - יהושוע". mechon-mamre.org. Archived from the original on 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
2. ^ a b "Josué - Chapitre 19 - יהושוע". mechon-mamre.org. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
3. ^ "Les Juges - Chapitre 13 - שופטים". mechon-mamre.org. Archived from the original on 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
4. ^ "Les Juges - Chapitre 16 - שופטים". mechon-mamre.org. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
5. ^ a b "Les Juges - Chapitre 18 - שופטים". mechon-mamre.org. Archived from the original on 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
6. ^ "La Septante, Josué, chapitre 15". theotex.org. Archived from the original on 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
7. ^ a b c d "Eschtaol - www.die-bibel.de". die-bibel.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
8. ^ Niemann, Hermann Michael (December 1999). "Zorah, Eshtaol, Beth-Shemesh and Dan's Migration to the South: A Region and its Traditions in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages". Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. 24 (86): 25–48\. doi:10.1177/030908929902408602. ISSN 0309-0892. Archived from the original on 2023-02-19. Retrieved 2024-06-17.25-48&rft.date=1999-12&rft_id=info:doi/10.1177/030908929902408602&rft.issn=0309-0892&rft.aulast=Niemann&rft.aufirst=Hermann+Michael&rft_id=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/030908929902408602&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Esthaol+(Bible)" class="Z3988">
9. ^ Ma, Wonsuk (2017-08-06). "Tragedy of Spirit-Empowered Heroes: A Close Look at Samson and Saul". Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology. 2 (2). doi:10.31380/2573-6345.1009. ISSN 2573-6345. Archived from the original on 2024-06-02. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
10. ^ Van Der Hart, R. (1975). "The Camp of Dan and the Camp of Yahweh". Vetus Testamentum. 25 (4): 720–728\. doi:10.1163/156853375X00340. ISSN 0042-4935. Archived from the original on 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-06-17.720-728&rft.date=1975&rft_id=info:doi/10.1163/156853375X00340&rft.issn=0042-4935&rft.aulast=Van+Der+Hart&rft.aufirst=R.&rft_id=https://brill.com/view/journals/vt/25/4/article-p720_4.xml&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Esthaol+(Bible)" class="Z3988">