Jotbah
Jotbah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Galilee in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Shifat. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Jotbah is mentioned in 2 Kings 21:19 as the home city of Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz, who became the wife of King Manasseh and the mother of King Amon of Judah. Though this is its sole appearance in Scripture, the reference carries significance for the royal lineage of Judah. Amon reigned for only two years in Jerusalem (642-640 BC) and is remembered as a king who did evil in the sight of the Lord, following the idolatrous practices his father Manasseh had introduced. The mention of Jotbah as Meshullemeth's hometown suggests the city held sufficient standing to produce a queen mother, indicating it was a settlement of some importance in the northern Galilee region. The practice of recording the queen mother's hometown and parentage was a standard feature of the Judean royal annals, providing genealogical legitimacy to each king's reign. Jotbah's location in Galilee is noteworthy, as it demonstrates the continued connections between the northern territories and the Davidic court in Jerusalem even after the northern kingdom's fall to Assyria in 722 BC.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Jotbah is identified with Khirbet Shifat (also known as Jotapata or Yodfat), located in the lower Galilee region approximately nine miles north of Sepphoris. The site gained greater historical fame in the Roman period as Jotapata, where the Jewish commander Josephus made his last stand against Vespasian's legions in 67 AD before the fortress fell after a 47-day siege. Archaeological excavations directed by Mordechai Aviam from 1992 onward have uncovered significant remains from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, including fortification walls, an underground tunnel system, and evidence of the Roman siege. Earlier Iron Age occupation layers, corresponding to the biblical period, have also been identified through pottery finds, supporting the identification with the Jotbah of 2 Kings.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Kgs
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →