Nephtoah (Hastings' Dictionary)

Only in the collocation Ὁ ἢν mind} Jos 15° (B πηγὴ ὕδατος Μαφθώ, A. . Ναφθώ) 1845 (BA Ναφθώ). It was a place with water, on the boundary of Judah and Benjamin, near the Vale of Rephaim. According to the Talmud (Neubauer, Géog. du Talm. Ρ. 146), Nephtoah was the same as Etam, now ‘Ain ‘Atdn, south of Beth- lehem at the so-called Pools of Solomon—Pilate’s aqueduct. This position seems to agree with Ephron (which see), being the mountain district west of Bethlehem.

Nephtoah has been placed at Lifta (so Tobler, Robinson, Sepp, Baedeker- Socin, ete.), about 3 miles ΝΟ. ΒΕ Jerusalem, but this name does not contain the necessary guttural, and the site appears to be irreconcilable with those of Chesalon and Kiriath-jearim, since the border would run S.W. instead of N. from Kiriath-jearim to Chesalon. See KIRIATH-JEARIM,. Lifta is more probably Eleph (which see) of Ben- jamin. It is not remarkable for its water supply (but see Barclay, City of Great King, p.

544), whereas ‘Ain ‘Atdnisa fine spring. For both sites see SW P vol. iii. sheet xvii.; and ef. ZDPV iii. 79. C. R. CoNDER.