Misrephoth Maim
“Burnings of water”
Summary
Misrephoth Maim was a town near Sidon in northern Canaan to which Joshua pursued the defeated Canaanite alliance after their rout at the waters of Merom.
☩Location and Name
The name means 'burnings of water' and has been variously interpreted as referring to lime-kilns, smelting furnaces, salt works, or glass manufacturing facilities near the water. The location was between Sidon and the Valley of Mizpeh, marking the northwestern extent of Joshua's pursuit of the northern Canaanite coalition. Some scholars connect it with Zarephath near Sidon, while others identify it with Ain-Mesherfi on the coast near Ras en-Nakura. The area may have been associated with early glass manufacturing, as this substance is said to have been first invented in the region.
☩Biblical Significance
After Joshua defeated the coalition led by Jabin king of Hazor at the waters of Merom, the Israelites pursued the fleeing armies as far as Misrephoth Maim in the northwest and the Valley of Mizpeh in the northeast. This pursuit demonstrated the completeness of Israel's victory over the northern Canaanite alliance. Though the Israelites reached this area, the territory of Sidon and its environs was later listed among the regions not yet conquered at Joshua's death.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Misrephoth-maim," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VI (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Misrephothmaim," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Misrephoth Maim," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).