ABSTRACT
The location of Ophrah is not known.1 The book of Joshua (18:23) mentions a place of that name among the towns belonging to the tribe of Benjamin; it could apply to the present-day town of et-Taiyebeh, north-east of Bethel. Another possibility suggests the place situated in the territories belonging to Manasseh-in the valley of Jezreel between Megiddo and Mt Tabor. An attempt has also been made to locate Gideonite Ophrah in present-day ‘Affuleh in the valley of Jezreel.2 Ernst Axel Knauf, in turn, has suggested that the biblical Ophrah is Jinsâfût.3 The Bible provides only very modest snippets of information concerning Ophrah ( ). Apart from the book of Judges (to be discussed shortly), we read about Ophrah in Josh 18:23 and 1 Sam 13:17. The Ophrah mentioned in these two verses is usually identied with the already mentioned et-Taiyibeh, which lies some 7 km north-east of Bethel. This would mean that its location was between the territories occupied by the tribes of Benjamin and of Ephraim.4 That would make it different to the place mentioned in the story of Gideon. 1 Chronicles 4:14 uses the term “Ophrah” ( ) to denote the proper name of a person from the generation of Judah.5 Another biblical reference which could help to extend our knowledge of Ophrah’s whereabouts is Mic 1:10: “Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah ( ) roll in the dust.” The LXX text does not make it any easier to resolve whether or not this means Ophrah when it says: &$, ! !# $, 1. J. Simons, The Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament, Leiden, 1959, 291, §561. 2. J.M. Hamilton, ABD, s.v. “Ophra.” 3. E.A. Knauf, “Eglon and Ophrah: Two Toponymic Notes on the Book of Judges,” JSOT 51 (1991): 25-44 (34-39). 4. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text, 102. 5. According to the genealogy in 1 Chr 4:1-14, was the grandson of Othniel, son of Kenaz, descendant of Caleb, also mentioned in Judg 3:7-11.
