Jotbah
“Goodness or pleasantness”
Summary
A town in ancient Israel, home of Meshullemeth who became queen to King Manasseh and mother of King Amon.
☩Biblical Reference
Jotbah is mentioned in 2 Kings 21:19 as the native town of Haruz, whose daughter Meshullemeth married King Manasseh of Judah and bore him his son and successor Amon. The location of the town is uncertain, though some scholars have suggested identification with modern Et-Taiyibeh north of Jerusalem in Benjamin, a site on a conspicuous hill with fertile basins and gardens of olives and fig trees. The Arabic equivalent of Jotbah is Et-Taiyib or Et-Taiyibeh, and the rich soil of that location would correspond with the meaning 'goodness' inherent in the name.
☩Possible Identification
Some scholars have suggested Jotbah may be identical with Jotbathah of the wilderness wanderings mentioned in Deuteronomy 10:7 and Numbers 33:33-34, since the Hebrew names are essentially the same. However, Jotbathah is described as a region rather than a town and lies outside the boundaries of the later Jewish monarchy, making a definite identification uncertain.
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Jotbah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.John McClintock and James Strong, "Jotbah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Jotbah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).