Bochim
Bochim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. Known today as Beitin. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Bochim, whose name in Hebrew means "weepers" or "place of weeping," appears in the opening chapter of Judges as the site of a profound national moment of mourning and covenant failure (Judges 2:1, 5). After the death of Joshua, the angel of the LORD ascended from Gilgal and addressed the assembled Israelites at Bochim, delivering a solemn rebuke: the people had made covenants with the Canaanites contrary to God's command, and as a consequence God would no longer drive out the nations before them. Their enemies would become thorns in their sides and their gods a snare. The congregation wept at this divine word of judgment, giving the place its enduring name. This episode serves as the theological hinge of the entire book of Judges, explaining the cycle of apostasy, oppression, deliverance, and renewed failure that characterizes the period. Bochim thus stands as a monument to covenant failure at the threshold of a new era in Israel's history, a sobering reminder that unfaithfulness to God's commands carries generational consequences.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The precise location of Bochim is uncertain, though some scholars have associated it with the region near Bethel (modern Beitin), north of Jerusalem in the central hill country. The site of ancient Bethel itself has been excavated, with occupation layers spanning from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period, confirming its importance as a cult and administrative center. Bethel's proximity to Gilgal in several biblical narratives makes the association with Bochim plausible, though not conclusive. The identification of Bochim as a distinct topographical site rather than a temporary assembly point is debated among scholars, and no inscription or material evidence has definitively confirmed the location.
Verse Appearances (2)
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]