Zarethan
Zarethan is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tell es Sa’idiyeh. It appears across 3 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Zarethan was an important city in the Jordan Valley during Israel's formative period, appearing in three Old Testament passages that together reveal its significance. Its most dramatic appearance is in Joshua 3:16, where the waters of the Jordan River are described as piling up in a heap as far as Adam, the city beside Zarethan, when the Israelites crossed into Canaan under Joshua — a miracle that announced the beginning of the conquest and recalled the earlier parting of the Red Sea. In 1 Kings 4:12, Zarethan is listed as a landmark in the administrative district overseen by Baana son of Ahilud, one of Solomon's twelve regional governors, indicating that it remained a reference point for the organization of the kingdom. Most evocatively, 1 Kings 7:46 places the casting of the bronze furnishings for Solomon's Temple — including the massive bronze sea, the pillars, and the lavers — in the clay ground between Zarethan and Succoth in the Jordan Valley, where the clay soil was ideally suited for the casting molds. Zarethan thus connects Israel's miraculous crossing of the Jordan to the glory of Solomon's Temple.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Zarethan is widely identified with Tell es Sa'idiyeh in the central Jordan Valley, the same prominent mound associated with biblical Zaphon, reflecting the complex layering of ancient place names at major tells. Excavations by James Pritchard and Jonathan Tubb at this site have uncovered evidence of extensive metalworking, including bronze implements and casting debris, which aligns intriguingly with the 1 Kings 7:46 reference to bronze casting in the clay soils near Zarethan. The site's location in the Jordan Valley, with access to clay deposits and the Jordan River, would have made it logistically suitable for such large-scale industrial activity. Occupation spans the Late Bronze through Iron Ages.
Verse Appearances (3)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →