Eder

1. Gn 35" 'And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder' ( AV Edar). 'Eder means ' a flock ' ; and the phrase Migdal-eder ('flock-tower,' cf. Mic 4') would liave been the appellation given to a tower occupied by shepherds for the protection of their flocks against robbers (cf. 2 K IS, 2 Ch 26">). The tower here mentioned lay between Bethlehem and Hebron cf. w."- "). Jerome mentions a Jewish tradition that this Eder was the site of the temple, ' hunc locum Hebrsei esse volunt, nbi postea templum tedificatum est : et turrim Ader, turrim gregis significare, hoc est, congregationis et coettis : quod et Michseas Propheta testatur, dicens ; Et tu turris gregis nebulosa, filia Sion.' Jerome himself, how- ever, prefers to think that it was the spot on which the shepherds received the angels' message, ' pasto- rum juxta Bethleem locus est, ubi vel Angelonim rex in ortu Domini cecinit' {Qucest. in Gen.). The tradition that the locality was near Jerusalem probablj accounts for the verse ("i) appearing in the LXX before v.". This transposition would favour any identification which placed ' Migdal- Eder' between Bethel and Bethlehem. The LXX transliterates -n-i as TiSfp. 2. Jos 15". The name of one of the towns of Judah ' in the south,' close to the Edomite frontier. For Eder, the LXX (B) gives 'kpa. ; and (A) 'ESpal. Conder (PEF Mem. liL 236) identifies with Kh. el-'Addr, 5 miles S. of Gaza. 3. 1 Ch 23=» 24«'. The name of one of the Levites in the days of David, of the house of Merari, and the son of Muhi. For Eder we find in the LXX (B) of 1 Ch 232» AKoS, and of 1 Ch 24> "HXd, where (A) has'ESfp in both instances, i. A Benjamite, 1 Ch 8"> (AV Ader), where LXX (B) gives"fi5j)5and (A)'n5ep. H. E. Rylb.