Anathoth: The name of one of the cities of refuge, in the tribe of Benjamin
(Joshua 21:18) The Jews, as a rule, did not change the names of the
towns they found in Palestine; hence this town may be regarded as
deriving its name from the goddess Anat. It was the native place of
Abiezer, one of David's "thirty"
(2 Samuel 23:27) and of Jehu, another
of his mighty men
(1 Chronicles 12:3) It is chiefly notable, however, as
the birth-place and usual residence of Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 1:1; 11:21-23)
(29:27; 32:7-9) It suffered greatly from the army of Sennacherib, and
only 128 men returned to it from the Exile
(Nehemiah 7:27; Ezra 2:23) It lay
about 3 miles north of Jerusalem. It has been identified with the
small and poor village of 'Anata, containing about 100 inhabitants.
