Who was Anathoth in the Bible?

Anathoth was a son of Becher and a grandson of Benjamin, making him a member of the tribe of Benjamin. He is mentioned only in the genealogical records found in 1 Chronicles 7:8.

Why is Anathoth mentioned in the Bible?

Anathoth is listed to preserve the genealogical line of the tribe of Benjamin, establishing family heritage and tribal identity. His mention helps trace the lineage of Benjamin's descendants as recorded in 1 Chronicles.

Did Anathoth have any significant role or events in his life?

The Bible does not record any specific events or a significant role for Anathoth beyond his inclusion in the genealogy. His importance is primarily as a named descendant in the tribal lineage of Benjamin.

Anathoth

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleSon

Anathoth was a son of Becher and a descendant of Benjamin, mentioned in the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin.

Anathoth

Biography

Anathoth was a son of Becher and a grandson of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel. He appears in 1 Chronicles 7:8 within the genealogical register of the tribe of Benjamin, preserved to establish tribal identity and land inheritance in Israel. Anathoth lived during the period when the Israelites were in Egypt, making him part of the second generation of the Benjaminite line. Beyond his genealogical entry, no individual deeds or personal narrative are associated with him. His name is likely the same as the priestly town of Anathoth in Benjamin, suggesting either that the town was named after this individual or that a shared naming tradition connected the clan to the place. He represents one of many grandsons of Jacob whose names shaped Israelite tribal and geographical memory.

Significance

Though Anathoth the son of Becher receives no personal narrative in Scripture, his place in the genealogical record of Benjamin carries implicit significance. Genealogies in the Hebrew Bible are not merely historical lists; they are covenantal documents affirming God's faithfulness across generations. The preservation of Anathoth's name alongside his brothers reflects the broader biblical concern with tracing the descendants of Jacob's sons as the foundation of the twelve tribes of Israel. His name also echoes the priestly town of Anathoth, later made famous as the birthplace of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1), reminding us that even obscure ancestral names can carry forward into moments of great prophetic significance.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 7:8

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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