Betonim
Betonim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Transjordan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Batneh. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Betonim was a town in the Transjordanian territory of Gad, listed in Joshua 13:26 among the settlements given to that tribe in the land east of the Jordan River following the Israelite conquest. The name is thought to mean "pistachio trees" in Hebrew, suggesting the region's distinctive vegetation. Its inclusion in the Gadite allotment places it in the hill country of Gilead, east of the Jordan, a region characterized by rugged terrain, fertile pastures, and strategic importance as a border zone between Israelite and Ammonite territory. Gad was one of the two and a half tribes that chose to settle east of the Jordan because the land was suited for their large herds (Numbers 32:1-5), and Betonim would have been one of the agricultural and pastoral communities supporting this eastern tribal settlement. The region of Gilead appears throughout the Old Testament as a place of refuge, conflict, and divine encounter, Jephthah arose from Gilead (Judges 11), Jacob made his covenant with Laban there, and Elijah the Tishbite hailed from its territory. Though Betonim itself is mentioned only once, it was part of this larger Gileadite landscape that played a sustained role in Israel's history.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Betonim is identified with Khirbet Batneh, a ruin site in the hill country of northern Jordan, east of the Jordan River in ancient Gilead. The modern place name preserves the ancient Semitic root, providing a relatively secure topographical anchor. Archaeological surveys of Khirbet Batneh and the broader Gilead region have identified Iron Age remains consistent with Israelite-period occupation, alongside Bronze Age and Roman-era materials indicating long-term habitation. The Gileadite highlands have been the subject of regional surveys that have identified numerous Iron Age sites reflecting dense settlement in this territory during the monarchic period. Systematic excavation of Khirbet Batneh itself remains limited, and a fuller picture of the site awaits future fieldwork.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
- Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]