NEPHTOAH. A town on the boundary between Judah and Benjamin ( Joshua 15:9; Joshua 18:16 ), usually identified with Lifta , about 2 miles N.W. of Jerusalem (so Tobler, Baedeker-Socin, Guthe, etc.). The Talmud identifies Nephtoah with Etam , the modern ‘Ain ‘Atâm , at what are popularly called the Pools of Solomon, S. of Bethlehem (Neuhauer, Géog. du Talm . p. 146). This latter is favoured by Conder, who would place Eleph at Lifta . The phrase ‘the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah’ would lead us to expect abundant supplies of water. In this respect the claim of ‘Ain ‘Atâm is certainly stronger than that of Lifta .
W. Ewing.