Eshcol

The brother of Mamre and Aner, the Amorite confederates of Abraham, who assisted the patriarch in his pursuit and defeat of Chedorlaoraer's forces (Gn M"-*). He lived in the neighbourhood of Hebron (Gn 13") ; and possibly gave his name to the valley of Eshcol, that lay a little to the N. of Hebron (Nu 13»). It is noteworthy that Josephus, in recording the event described in Gn H'"**, mentions Eshcol first. ' The first of them was called Eshcol, the second Enner, and the third Mambres' (Ant.

I. x. 2). In the Heb. of Gn 14* they are mentioned in the order Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. But in the LXX the order is 'EirxiiX, kivir, tAaiippiii ; and this ordei is found also in Philo {De Migrat. Abrnh. § 30, i. 461). H. E. Ryle. ESHCOL ('?b?'ti), Nn 13»-» 32», Dt 1".— Awady, with vineyards and pomegranates, apparently near Hebron. E. is usually rendered ' bunch of grapes.' The name has not been recovered, since the Air> ESHEK ESSENES 767 Keshkahh at Hebron has no connexion with the Hebrew.

LiTSiuTCai.— Robinson, BRP i. 114; Tristram, Land 0/ Itrofl, SS8, 393: Conder, Tent-Work, 237; Bible Ptacat, 89; 6«8&Dt, Thirty ieanf Work «n lAo Holy Land, 70, 84. C. R. Conder.