Beth-shita was a small town mentioned in the Bible as one of the places where the Midianites fled after being defeated by Judge Gideon in the battle on Mount Morah.
It is considered a city of little regional and historical relevance, being mentioned in the Bible only in Judges 7:22. Due to this lack of information about the city and its few mentions in the biblical text, it is not possible to clearly state its location, geography, population and customs.
Beth-shita story
The origin of this city is uncertain, but some scholars suggest that it may have been founded by the Canaanites, the original inhabitants of the land of Canaan, before the Israelite conquest recorded throughout the book of Judges.
It would have been one of the cities that the Israelites took from the Canaanites and distributed among their tribes, probably assigned to the tribe of Manasseh during the division of territory.
The fact that the Midianites fled the city after the battle with Gideon, son of Joash, suggests that at some point after Israel’s conquest of the region, during the period of the judges, Bethshita fell under Midianite rule. Possibly it was taken by Midian after the death of the judge Deborah, when the Israelites strayed from the ways of the Lord.
Judge Gideon’s battles
The main account of the city of Bethshita is found during the battles to liberate Israel from the oppression of the peoples of the east (Midianites and Amalekites).
The biblical text says that after Gideon defeated the Midianite army with only 300 soldiers on Mount Moreh, part of the soldiers fled to the city of Bethshita, in the direction of Zererah and Abel-meholah, cities close to Tabbath.
This part of the army was eventually defeated by the Ephraimite army, from the tribe of Ephraim, during an ambush. Their leaders Zeeb and Oreb were executed in Bethbarah, a town near the River Jordan.
The other part of the army, around 15,000 soldiers, gathered in Carcor, a town near Noba and Jogbeah. They were attacked by Gideon and his soldiers. In this attack, Gideon ended the war between Midian and Israel, and executed the last Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna.
Decline of the city
As there were no further reports of the city after Judge Gideon’s battles, it is not possible to say whether or not the city returned to Israelite rule or even continued to be inhabited.
Some suppose that after Gideon, Bethshita came under Israelite rule, forming part of the territory of Israel until its division into two kingdoms.
After the division of the Kingdom of Israel into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah), its territory shrank considerably, losing much of its territory east of the Jordan River.
With the rise of local empires such as Assyria, Babylon and Persia, it is certain that the city passed to these different domains and governments.
Gradually the city lost its importance and its population must have migrated to more important cities and regions.
Location of Beth-shita
The location of the city of Bethshita, as well as its origin, is unknown. From the context in which it is mentioned in Judges 7:22, some believe that it was located east of the River Jordan on the borders of the tribe of Manasseh, near the River Jarmuch.
Possible location of the city of Bete-Sita
Some scholars, however, believe it to be the present-day Shittah, or Beth Ha-Shittah, a kibbutz of the same name located in the Jezreel Valley [1].
However, the foundation of this kibbutz dates back to 1935 and there are no archaeological excavations to prove its connection with the ancient city of Beth-Sita.
Geography of the city
Since we don’t clearly know the location of Beth-Sita, we can’t make any assumptions about its climate, geography, soil, etc. If it is located where the present-day Shittah kibbutz is, the city benefits from being in the Jezreel Valley. As such, the area has fertile soil that is suitable for agriculture.
Main cities nearby
The main towns near Beth-Sita were:
- Tabate: Possibly the largest city in the region;
- Abel-Meolá: A small town, with little regional importance. The town closest to the River Jordan, where the prophet Elisha lived until he became a follower of Elijah;
- Zererá: Small town in the vicinity of Abel-Meholah and Tabbath.
Meaning and etymology of the name “Beth-shita”
The name “Beth-Shita” from the Hebrew Beyth hash-Shittah(בית השטת) with the most possible translation “house of acacia”. [2]
Its name is formed from the term “bete”, which is used to refer to a house/dwelling, and the word shittiym(שׂטים), which means “wooden sticks”. [2]
Learn more
[Podcast] Who were the judges? Btcast.
[Video] Who was GIDEON? The Story of GIDEON, ISRAEL’S MOST IMPORTANT JUDGE. Canal Ilustrarrando.
[Video] Judges. Bible Project.
Sources
[1] Beth-Shittah. Encyclopedia.
[2] What is the meaning of Beth-Sita in the Bible? Annotated Bible.
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