Ephrath
Ephrath or Ephrathah or Ephratah (Hebrew: אֶפְרָת \ אֶפְרָתָה) is a biblically referenced former name of Bethlehem,[1] meaning "fruitful".[2] It is also a personal name.[citation needed]
Biblical place
A very old tradition holds that Ephrath refers to
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.[4]
Ephrath, or Bethlehem, is connected to messianic prophecy, as found in the book of the minor prophet 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."[5]
Personal name
Caleb's second wife[6]
was called Ephrath (or Ephrathah).
Locations named after Ephrath
Some modern places named after Ephrath include:
- The Efrat, near Bethlehem
- The town of Ephrata, Pennsylvania[7]
- 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, near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Nearby Coochiemudlo Island also has an Eprapah Street.
- Eprapah, the Scout environmental education training centre, located at Victoria Point, near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
References
- ^ a b "Ephratah (Ephrath) (WebBible Encyclopedia)". ChristianAnswers.Net. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ^ "Ephratah" in Holman Bible Dictionary (Holman: Tennessee, 2003), 500-501
- ^ Genesis.35:16-19;48:7
- ^ 1Chronicles 4:4
- ^ Micah 5:2
- ^ 1Chronicles.2:19;2:50
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 120.