Anathoth

Anathoth - the name of one of the cities given to "the children of Aaron" (Josh 21:13,18; 1 Chron 6:54,60), in the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. 21:18, 1 Chron. 6:60). Since the Israelites often did not change the names of the towns they found in Canaan, the name of this town may be derived from a Canaanite goddess, ‘Anat. However, it is also given as the name of an Israelite person in 1 Chron 7:8, and in Neh 10:19.

Anathoth is mentioned as the native place of Abiezer, one of David's "thirty" (2 Sam. 23:27), and of Jehu, another of his mighty men (1 Chr. 12:3). It is perhaps best known as the home town of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1; 29:27; 32:7-9). In 11:21-23, he delivers a prophecy of tribulation by the sword against the residents of Anathoth, who were plotting against him.

Anathoth suffered greatly from the army of Sennacherib, and only 128 men returned to it from the Babylonian exile (Neh. 7:27; Ezra 2:23). It lay about 3 miles north of Jerusalem. Though there is an Arab village named ˤAnātā in the surroundings, Anathoth has been identified with a place called Khirbet el-Yahūd, litt. "the ruins of the Jews". The modern Israeli settlement of Anatot (also known as Almon) was named after it.