Zemarite (Hastings' Dictionary)
Name of a tribe said to be one of the sons of Canaan and placed between Arvad and Hamath, Gn 10'8=1 Ch V^iAZatiapatos, E [in Gen.] ~atiapeios). The name seems akin to Zemaraim of Jos 18, . The Arabian geographers mention several places with similar names ; but the juxtaposition of this name with Arvad suggests comparison with Sumur of the Tel el-Amarna tablets, in which the two names figure more than once side by side. So 1.50. 59 (ed.
\\ inckler) : 'The people of Arvad have made a treaty to take awaj' Tyre ; Tyre they could not conquer, but Suuiui they did conquer.' From 81. 13 it appears to li.ive been a port, and is identified by ^V inckler with Botrys. In the fragmentary narrative contained in these tablets it appears to have been repeatedly taken, destroyed, and rebuilt. A jjlace named SimjTa, considerably to the north of Botrys, is mentioned Ijy the classical geographers (Strabo, XVI. ii. 12 ; I'liny, HX v. 77 ; Ptol.
v. xv. 4), and was supposed by Michaelis to retain a trace of the name given in Genesis (so also Schrader, KAT' 105 ; Dillm. Gen. ad loc, et al.) D. S. Margoliouth. ZEMIRAH (n-;-ct)._A son of Beclier, 1 Ch 7' (B 'AfjiapiaSj A Zafxapias, Luc. Zapiaptd). ZENAN See Zaanan.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Zemarite
Zemarite zem'-a-rit (ha-tsemari; ho Samaraios): A Canaanite people named in Ge 10:18; 1Ch 1:16. The occurrence of the name between Arvadite and Hamathite gives a hint as to locality. A place called Cumur is mentioned in the Tell el-Amarna Letters along with Arvad. The name probably survives in that of Sumra, a village on the seacoast between Tripolis and Ruwad, about 1 1/2 miles North of Nahr el-Kebir. We may with some certainty identify this modern village with the site of the town from which the inhabitants were named "Zemarites." ⇒See a list of verses on ZEMARITES in the Bible. ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia