Eben-Ezer
Encyclopedia
Eben-Ezer is the name of a location that is mentioned by the Books of Samuel
as the scene of battles between the Israelites and Philistines
. It is specified as having been less than a day's journey by foot from Shiloh, near Aphek, in the neighbourhood of Mizpah
, near the western entrance of the pass of Beth-horon
. However, its location has not been identified in modern times with much certainty, with some identifying it with Beit Iksa
, and others with Dayr Aban
.
, the second narrative is a redaction
, added by a later editor, probably the deuteronomist
, probably to explain away what is in reality an earlier sanctuary that featured a stone as a fetish
of Yahweh
(such sanctuaries are found in the Canaan
ite archaeological record). The first narrative is considered to come from a sanctuaries narrative (1 Samuel 4:1-7:1) that recounts the tale of the Ark's captivity, and perhaps was originally more extensive in its details about the Ark's travels (possibly including the
narratives found elsewhere about Araunah
's threshing floor, and the death of Uzziah
). This first passage abruptly interrupts the narrative flow of the story of Samuel, which would read more naturally, in the eyes of textual scholars, if the text went straight from 1 Samuel 3:21 to 1 Samuel 7:17.
, near Antipatris
, while the second battle's location is deemed to be insufficiently well-defined in the Biblical text.
Books of Samuel
The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
as the scene of battles between the Israelites and Philistines
Philistines
Philistines , Pleshet or Peleset, were a people who occupied the southern coast of Canaan at the beginning of the Iron Age . According to the Bible, they ruled the five city-states of Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath, from the Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north, but with...
. It is specified as having been less than a day's journey by foot from Shiloh, near Aphek, in the neighbourhood of Mizpah
Mizpah in Benjamin
Mizpah was a city of Benjamin.Tell en-Nasbeh is one of two sites often identified with Biblical Mizpah of Benjamin, and is located about 8 miles north of Jerusalem. The other suggested location is Neby Samwil, which is some 4 miles north-west of Jerusalem, and situated on the loftiest hill in the...
, near the western entrance of the pass of Beth-horon
Beth-horon
Bethoron was the name for two adjacent towns, Bethoron Elyon , and Bethoron Tahton , named for the Egypto-Canaanite deity Horon mentioned in Ugaritic literature and other texts...
. However, its location has not been identified in modern times with much certainty, with some identifying it with Beit Iksa
Beit Iksa
Beit Iksa is a Palestinian village in the Jerusalem Governorate, located 6 kilometers northwest of Jerusalem in the West Bank. Beit Iksa, a village of 1,600 inhabitants, was classified as "Area B" as a result of the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1995...
, and others with Dayr Aban
Dayr Aban
Dayr Aban was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Jerusalem. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on October 19, 1948. It was located 21 km west of Jerusalem. The Romans referred to place as Abenezer....
.
Historical mentions
It appears in the Books of Samuel in two narratives:- In the first narrative , the Philistines defeat the Israelites, even though the Israelites brought the ark of the covenantArk of the CovenantThe Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
onto the battlefield in hope of it bringing them a divinely assured victory. As a result of the Philistine victory and the ark's presence on the battlefield, it was captured by the PhilistinesPhilistine captivity of the ArkThe Philistine captivity of the Ark was an episode described in the biblical history of the Israelites, in which the Ark of the covenant was in the possession of the Philistines, who had captured it after defeating the Israelites in a battle at a location between Eben-ezer, where the Israelites...
, and not returned until many weeks later. - In the second narrative , the Israelites defeat the Philistines, after Samuel has offered a sacrifice. Samuel puts up a stone in memorial and names it Eben-Ezer (the placename in the previous narrative resulting from this).
Interpretations
According to some modern textual scholarsTextual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
, the second narrative is a redaction
Redaction
Redaction is a form of editing in which multiple source texts are combined and subjected to minor alteration to make them into a single work. Often this is a method of collecting a series of writings on a similar theme and creating a definitive and coherent work...
, added by a later editor, probably the deuteronomist
Deuteronomist
The Deuteronomist, or simply D, is one of the sources underlying the Hebrew bible . It is found in the book of Deuteronomy, in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings and also in the book of Jeremiah...
, probably to explain away what is in reality an earlier sanctuary that featured a stone as a fetish
Fetishism
A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a man-made object that has power over others...
of Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
(such sanctuaries are found in the Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ite archaeological record). The first narrative is considered to come from a sanctuaries narrative (1 Samuel 4:1-7:1) that recounts the tale of the Ark's captivity, and perhaps was originally more extensive in its details about the Ark's travels (possibly including the
narratives found elsewhere about Araunah
Araunah
Araunah was a Jebusite who was mentioned in the Books of Samuel who owned the threshing floor on the summit of Mount Moriah that David purchased and used as the site for assembling an altar to God. The Scholar renders his name as Arunah....
's threshing floor, and the death of Uzziah
Uzziah
Uzziah , also known as Azariah , was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah, and one of Amaziah's sons, whom the people appointed to replace his father...
). This first passage abruptly interrupts the narrative flow of the story of Samuel, which would read more naturally, in the eyes of textual scholars, if the text went straight from 1 Samuel 3:21 to 1 Samuel 7:17.
Modern-day placement
It is currently accepted among Israeli archaeologists and historians to place the Eben-Ezer of the first narrative in the immediate neighborhood of modern-day Kafr QasimKafr Qasim
Kafr Qasim , is a hill-top Israeli Arab city located about twenty kilometers east of Tel Aviv, near the Green Line separating Israel and the West Bank, on the southern portion of the "Little Triangle" of Arab-Israeli towns and villages. The town became notorious for the Kafr Qasim massacre, in...
, near Antipatris
Antipatris
Antipatris, one of two places known as Tel Afek , was a city built by Herod the Great, and named in honour of his father, Antipater II of Judea...
, while the second battle's location is deemed to be insufficiently well-defined in the Biblical text.