Tahath
“Station; beneath; below”
Summary
Tahath is the name of a wilderness encampment of Israel and three men in the Old Testament.
☩The Wilderness Station
Tahath was one of the stations where the Israelites encamped during their wilderness wanderings, located between Makheloth and Terah. The exact site has not been identified, but it was apparently situated somewhere in the desert region beyond the western edge of the Arabah. The name, meaning 'station' or 'beneath,' may describe the topographical character of the location.
☩The Kohathite Levite
A Kohathite Levite named Tahath appears in the genealogy as the son of Assir and father of Uriel (or Zephaniah), making him an ancestor of the prophet Samuel and the singer Heman. This places him in one of the most important Levitical families, responsible for carrying the sacred vessels of the tabernacle.
☩The Ephraimites
Two men named Tahath appear in the genealogy of Ephraim, one being the son of Bered and father of Eladah, the other being the grandson of the first, son of Eladah and father of Zabad. Some scholars identify the first Tahath with Tahan the son of Ephraim, though the textual evidence does not clearly support this identification. These Ephraimites lived in the early period after Israel's settlement in Canaan.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Tahath," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Tahath (1)," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Tahath," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Tahath," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).