Beth-haran
Beth-haran is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Transjordan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tall Iktanu. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Beth-haran appears in Numbers 32:36 and Joshua 13:27 as one of the fortified cities built or rebuilt by the tribe of Gad in the Transjordanian region north of the Dead Sea, in the territory wrested from the Amorite king Sihon. In Numbers 32, the Gadites petition Moses to remain on the east side of the Jordan with their families and livestock rather than crossing into Canaan, and Beth-haran is among the cities they fortify for this purpose. In Joshua 13:27, the city is listed again as part of Gad's inheritance in the Jordan Valley. Beth-haran likely means "house of the mountain" or "house of Haran," and its location in the fertile Jordan Valley east of the river made it a desirable settlement. The Gadite occupation of this region fulfilled both a practical need, excellent grazing land, and a covenantal obligation, as the Gadites promised to send their warriors across the Jordan to assist in the conquest of Canaan before returning to their families. Beth-haran thus represents the complex geography of Israel's tribal settlement, which extended beyond the Jordan River into the Transjordanian plateau and valley.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Beth-haran is generally identified with Tall Iktanu, a site in the southern Jordan Valley east of the Jordan River in modern Jordan, near the point where the Wadi Hisban enters the valley floor. Excavations at Tall Iktanu by Kay Prag in the 1980s and 1990s documented occupation primarily in the Early and Middle Bronze Ages, with some later material, though Iron Age remains were less prominent than at some neighboring sites. The broader area of the lower Jordan Valley east of the river has been surveyed extensively, with numerous Bronze and Iron Age sites attesting to the region's importance as a transition zone between the Jordan Valley and the Transjordanian plateau. The site's identification with Beth-haran is accepted by many scholars though not universally confirmed.
Verse Appearances (2)
Num
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]