| Joshua 17:11
| And the inheritance of Manasses, in Issachar and in Aser, was Bethsan and its villages, and Jeblaam with its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor, with the towns thereof: the inhabitants also of Endor, with the villages thereof: and in like manner the inhabitants of Thenac, with the villages thereof: and the inhabitants of Mageddo, with their villages: and the third part of the city of Nopheth.
| In Aser. The following towns were upon the frontiers of these two tribes, (Menochius) or they properly belonged to them respectively. But the children of Manasses took possession of them, after conquering by degrees, the former inhabitants, who were suffered to live among them, as the Jebusites were for some time, at Jerusalem, Josue 15:63. (Haydock) --- Bethsan, or Scythopolis, as it was called by the Greeks, after the Scythians had invaded those countries, (Herodotus 50:105,) in the year of the world 3391, almost 100 years from the destruction of the kingdom of Israel. Unless these Scythians may rather be the Cutheans, who were sent to people the kingdom of Samaria, most of whom embraced the Jewish religion, while those of Bethsan adhered to their ancient idolatry, and therefore retained their name. Even in the days of Josephus, most of the inhabitants were heathens: the kings of Juda were not able to subdue them entirely. Bethsan was situated to the south of the sea of Tiberias, 600 stadia from Jerusalem; (2 Machabees 12:29,) that is, about 37 leagues, (Calmet) or 111 miles. (Haydock) --- Dor, nine miles north of Caesarea. --- Endor, "the fountain of Dor," four miles south of Mount Thabor. (Eusebius) --- Here Saul consulted the witch, 1 Kings 38:7. --- Thenac, near Legion, and the torrent of Cisson, where Barac gained a victory, Judges 5. --- Nopheth, means "a canton," and thus Manasses may have had three portions of land round the three aforesaid cities, in which sense it is translated, Josue 11:2. (Calmet; Masius) --- But Serarius takes Nopheth to mean a city, (Menochius) agreeably to the Septuagint, "the third part of Naphetha, and its villages." (Haydock) --- The other two parts of the city might be occupied by Zabulon. (Bonfrere) --- No mention is made of Nopheth, Judges 1:27. (Haydock)
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