Home/Places/Beth-horon

Beth-horon

Ephraim / Benjamin border

Town in Ephraim / Benjamin border · today Beit Ur, West Bank

Meaning: “House of Horon (a deity) / house of the hollow

The mountain pass where God cast down great hailstones on the fleeing Amorite kings.

Location

Overview

Beth-horon — Upper and Lower — guarded a strategic ascent between the coastal plain and the central hills. Its descent was the scene of one of the conquest's most dramatic victories.

The going down of Beth-horon

Pursuing the five Amorite kings from Gibeon, Israel chased them "along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron." As they fled down the pass, "the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them... they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew" (Joshua 10:10–11).

A border landmark

Beth-horon marked the boundary between Ephraim and Benjamin (Joshua 16:3, 5; 18:13–14) and was a Levitical city (Joshua 21:22).

A road much fought over

The pass remained militarily vital: Solomon fortified Beth-horon (1 Kings 9:17), and it saw battles in Israel's later history (1 Samuel 13:18; 2 Chronicles 8:5).

Events Here

1406 BC

God casts down hailstones on the Amorites at the descent of Beth-horon

Joshua 10:11

Scripture References

13 verses
Joshua7 verses

Joshua 10:10

And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

Joshua 10:11

And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

Joshua 16:3

And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

Joshua 16:5

And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper;

Joshua 18:13

And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.

Joshua 18:14

And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Bethhoron southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

Joshua 21:22

And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four cities.

1 Samuel1 verse

1 Samuel 13:18

And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

1 Kings1 verse

1 Kings 9:17

And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether,

1 Chronicles2 verses

1 Chronicles 6:68

And Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs,

1 Chronicles 7:24

(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Bethhoron the nether, and the upper, and Uzzensherah.)

2 Chronicles2 verses

2 Chronicles 8:5

Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

2 Chronicles 25:13

But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil. the soldiers: Heb. the sons of the band

Archaeology & History

The two villages of Beit Ur (el-Foqa and et-Tahta — "upper" and "lower") preserve the name and guard the ancient Beth-horon ridge road, one of the principal routes from the coast up to the highlands around Jerusalem — which is why it was fortified and fought over for centuries.

People who appear here

Solomon1×

Frequently asked about Beth-horon

Where is Beth-horon today?

Today, Beth-horon corresponds to Beit Ur, West Bank.

What does the name Beth-horon mean?

The name Beth-horon means “House of Horon (a deity) / house of the hollow”.

What happened at Beth-horon in the Bible?

Key biblical events at Beth-horon include god casts down hailstones on the amorites at the descent of beth-horon.

Where is Beth-horon first mentioned in the Bible?

Beth-horon is first mentioned in Joshua 10:10.

How often is Beth-horon mentioned in the Bible?

Beth-horon is mentioned in 13 verses across 5 books: Joshua, 1 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles.

What happened at Beth-horon?

During the battle to defend Gibeon, the fleeing Amorite armies were struck down the pass of Beth-horon by great hailstones from heaven — more dying from the hail than by the sword.

Why was Beth-horon strategically important?

It commanded a key ascent between the coastal plain and the central hill country, so it was fortified (by Solomon) and repeatedly contested.