Caleb-ephrathah
Caleb-ephrathah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Bethlehem. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Caleb-ephrathah appears only once in Scripture, in 1 Chronicles 2:24, where it is noted that after Hezron died in the land of Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abiah bore him Ashhur, the father of Tekoa. The name combines the tribal hero Caleb, son of Hezron and one of the great figures of the conquest generation, with "Ephrathah," the ancient name for the Bethlehem region. This single reference carries significant weight in the genealogical heritage of Judah, linking the founding patriarchal families to the territory that would eventually become the birthplace of David and, centuries later, of Jesus the Messiah. Ephrathah appears elsewhere in Micah 5:2 as the place from which the ruler of Israel would emerge, and in Ruth 4:11 as a place of fruitfulness and honor. The fused name Caleb-ephrathah may indicate either a settlement founded by Caleb's family or a district associated with his inheritance in the tribe of Judah, weaving together conquest, lineage, and the messianic hope embedded in Judah's tribal history.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Caleb-ephrathah is generally associated with the region surrounding modern Bethlehem in the West Bank. The identification is based on its linguistic and textual connection with Ephrathah, the older name for Bethlehem and its surrounding district. While no specific site has been definitively excavated under the name Caleb-ephrathah, Bethlehem itself has a rich archaeological record extending from the Bronze Age onward. The Church of the Nativity, built over a grotto venerated since at least the second century, marks the traditional birth site of Jesus and remains one of the oldest continuously used Christian places of worship.
Verse Appearances (1)
1Chr
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]