Ephrath

2025-09-06T10:41:21Z

2A00:23C5:FE1C:3701:4CCF:4633:85D8:DEAE: grammar

{{Short description|Historical name for Bethlehem}}
'''Ephrath''', '''Ephrathah''' and '''Ephratah''' are variant spellings of the same Hebrew name ({{langx|he|אֶפְרָת \ אֶפְרָתָה}}) mentioned in the Bible.
Ephrath usually refers to the ancient name for Bethlehem in Judah.
It originally referred to the region around Bethlehem and was later identified with the town itself. (Genesis 35:19, Micah 5:2). A person from Ephrath is called an Ephrathite (as a geographic tribal designation; 1 Sam 17:12; Ruth 1:2).

It is also the name of Caleb's wife, who bore Hur, an ancestor of Bethlehem’s founders. (1 Chronicles 2:19)

The name comes from the Hebrew root פָּרָה (parah) and means to be fruitful, to bear fruit, to increase. <ref>"Ephratah" in Holman Bible Dictionary (Holman: Tennessee, 2003), 500-501</ref>

==Biblical place==
A very old tradition holds that Ephrath refers to [[Bethlehem]],<ref name="Bethlehem">{{cite web|url=http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/ephratah.html |title=Ephratah (Ephrath) (WebBible Encyclopedia) |publisher=ChristianAnswers.Net |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref> as the first mention of Ephrath occurs in [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis.35:16-19;48:7|multi=yes}}</ref> in reference to the place where [[Rachel]] died giving birth to [[Benjamin]] and was buried on the road from [[Bethel]]. Evidence that she died on the way there is reflected by the ancient [[Rachel's tomb]] at the city's entrance.

Throughout much of the [[Bible]], Ephrath is a description for members of the Israelite [[tribe of Judah]], as well as for possible founders of Bethlehem.<ref>{{bibleref2|1Chronicles|4:4|9}}</ref>

Ephrath, or Bethlehem, is connected to [[Messiah in Judaism|messianic]] prophecy, as found in the book of the minor prophet [[Book of Micah|Micah]]: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel."<ref>{{bibleref2|Micah|5:2|9}}</ref> This specifies the town of Bethlehem in the southern part of biblical Israel (Judah/Judea), distinguishing it from the Bethlehem located in the north (Galilee). Both Matthew 2 and Luke 2 in the New Testament state that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.

==Personal name==
[[Caleb (son of Hezron)|Caleb]]'s second wife<ref>{{bibleverse|1Chronicles.2:19;2:50|multi=yes}}</ref> was called Ephrath (or Ephrathah).

==Locations named after Ephrath==
Some modern places named after Ephrath include:
*The [[Israeli settlement]] of [[Efrata|Efrat]], near Bethlehem
*The town of [[Ephrata, Pennsylvania]]<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n119 120]}}</ref>
**The [[Ephrata Cloister]], Pennsylvania, United States.
*The town of [[Ephratah, New York]]
*The town of [[Ephrata, Washington]], United States.
*The locality and creek of [[Eprapah]], [[Victoria Point, Queensland|Victoria Point]], near [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]
** Nearby [[Coochiemudlo Island]] also has an Eprapah Street.
* [[Eprapah]], the [[Scouting and Guiding in Queensland|Scout]] environmental education training centre, located at [[Victoria Point, Queensland|Victoria Point]], near [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

[[Category:Torah places]]
[[Category:History of Bethlehem]]
[[Category:Former populated places in West Asia]]
[[Category:Women in the Hebrew Bible]]

[[he:אפרת]]

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Ephrath