Anaharath
Anaharath is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Galilee in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tell Rekhesh. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Anaharath appears in Joshua 19:19 as one of the cities allocated to the tribe of Issachar in the division of the land of Canaan. It is listed among a group of sixteen cities and their villages that formed the inheritance of Issachar, situated in the fertile Jezreel Valley region of northern Canaan. The tribe of Issachar occupied a strategically important position between the Jezreel Valley and the hills of lower Galilee, an area of great agricultural richness. While Anaharath receives no individual narrative treatment in Scripture, its inclusion in Issachar's territory places it within the broader covenant framework of Israel's land inheritance. The Jezreel Valley cities of Issachar sat astride major trade and military routes connecting the Mediterranean coast to the Jordan Valley and Transjordan, making even lesser-mentioned towns like Anaharath part of a strategically vital landscape. The silent faithfulness of such towns, supporting Israel's agricultural and military life without dramatic biblical incident, represents an important dimension of covenant community in the land.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Anaharath is generally identified with Tell Rekhesh (also spelled Tell er-Ras or Khirbet el-Mukheizin), located in the eastern Jezreel Valley near the modern moshav Kfar Yehezkel, east of Mount Tabor. The tell rises prominently above the surrounding valley floor. Archaeological surveys and excavations have revealed occupation layers spanning the Chalcolithic through the Byzantine periods, with significant Middle Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age remains. Iron Age pottery attests to Israelite-period occupation consistent with the tribal allotment period. The site has been examined by various survey expeditions, and more recent excavations have shed further light on its Bronze Age fortifications and administrative role in the region. The identification with Anaharath is broadly accepted in scholarly literature.
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]