Timnath-Heres or Timnath-Serah

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TIMNATH-HERES or TIMNATH-SERAH

TIMNATH-HERES or TIMNATH-SERAH (Heb. תִּמְנַת סֶרַח ,תִּמְנַת חֶרֶס), city in the hill-country of the territory of Ephraim, given to Joshua as his inheritance after the division of Canaan among the tribes; he was later buried there. The place is called both Timnath-Heres ("of the sun"; Judg. 2:9) and Timnath-Serah (Josh. 19:50; cf. the name of Asher's daughter, Serah, in Gen. 46:17; i Chron. 7:30). In the Herodian period, it became the headquarters of a toparchy, formerly that of Arimathea (Pliny, Natural History, 5:15, 70; Jos., Wars, 3:55). Cassius sold its inhabitants into slavery (Jos., Ant., 14:275). In the Jewish War of 66–70 the city was included within the command of John the Essene (Jos., Wars, 2:567); in the spring of 68 it was occupied by Vespasian (Wars, 4:444). The city continued in existence until Byzantine times (Eusebius, Onom. 100:1ff.). It is identified with Khirbat Tibna, about 7½ mi. (12 km.) north of Beth-Horon; pottery of the early Iron Age and later periods was found there and the traditional tomb of Joshua is shown at the site.

bibliography:

Abel, in: rb, 34 (1925), 209ff.; Rad, in: pjb, 29 (1933), 32.

[Michael Avi-Yonah]

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