timnath-serah Summary and Overview

remaining portion, the city of Joshua in the hill country of Ephraim, the same as Timnath-heres (Josh. 19:50; 24:30). "Of all sites I have seen," says Lieut. Col. Conder, "none is so striking as that of Joshua's home, surrounded as it is with deep valleys and wild, rugged hills." Opposite the town is a hill, on the northern side of which there are many excavated sepulchres. Among these is the supposed tomb of Joshua, which is said to be "the most striking monument in the country." It is a "square chamber with five excavations in three of its sides, the central one forming a passage leading into a second chamber beyond. A great number of lamp-niches cover the walls of the porch, upwards of two hundred, arranged in vertical rows. A single cavity with a niche for a lamp has been thought to be the resting-place of the warrior-chief of Israel." The modern Kefr Haris, 10 miles south-west of Shechem.

(portion of abundance), the name of the city which was presented to Joshua after the partition of the country, #Jos 19:50| and in "the border" of which he was buried. #Jos 24:30| It is specified as "in Mount Ephraim on the north side of Mount Gaash." In #Jud 2:9| the name is altered to TIMNATH-HERES. The latter form is that adopted by the Jewish writers. Accordingly, they identify the place with Kefar-cheres, which is said by Jewish travellers to be about five miles south of Shechem (Nablus). No place with that name appears on the maps. Another identification has, however been suggested by Dr. Eli Smith. In his journey from Jifna to Mejdel-Yaba, about six miles from the former he discovered the ruins of a considerable town. Opposite the town was a much higher hill, in the north side of which are several excavated sepulchres. The whole bears the name of Tibneh.

TIM'NATH-SE'RAH (portion of abundance), and TIM'NATHHE'RES (portion of the sun), a city in Ephraim assigned to Joshua, and the place of his residence and burial. Jud 2:9; Josh 19:50; Matt 24:30. 1. Christian tradition points to a Tibneh (not that under Timnath), on the Roman road from Jerusalem to Antipatris and some 14 1/2 miles north-north-west of Jerusalem as the site of ancient Timnathserah. Jerome speaks of this place as on the border between the possessions of Dan and Judah. The ruin of Tibneh has a remarkable rock-cemetery, containing nine tombs, south of the site of the town; one of these tombs is large, with a portico supported on rude piers of rock. There are niches for over two hundred lamps, once burning in front of the tomb-entrance. Within there is a chamber with fourteen graves, or kokim, and a passage leads into an inner chamber with only one koka. There is no direct evidence of the date of this tomb, which some have regarded as the tomb of Joshua, but this is hardly probable. Another curious fact is that near the tomb is a great oak tree called sheikh et-Teim, "the chief of the servant of God." There is also a village, about 3 miles to the east, called Kefr lshu'a, or "Joshua's village." 2. Another site proposed for Timnathheres or -serah is at Kefr Haris, 9 miles south of Nablus (Shechem). The Samaritans state that Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb were here buried. The two tombs of Caleb and Joshua were noticed here by Rabbi Jacob of Paris, a.d. 1258. Conder inclines to this as the burial place of Joshua, since Jew and Samaritan both point to it. (See picture of the tomb of Joshua under Joshua.)