Bible Encyclopedias
Zaphon

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

zā´fon ( צפון , cāphōn ; Codex Vaticanus Σαφάν , Saphán ; Codex Alexandrinus Σαφών , Saphṓn ): A city on the East of the Jordan in the territory of Gad ( Joshua 13:27 ). It is named again in Judges 12:1 as the place where the elders of Gilead gathered to meet with Jephthah ( cāphōnāh should be translated "to Zaphon," not "northward"). It must have lain well to the North of Gad. According to the Talmud Amathus represented Zaphon (Neubauer, Geog. du Talmud , 249). Here sat one of the Synedria created by Gabinius (Ant. , XIV , v, 4). It was a position of great strength (BJ , I, iv, 2). Eusebius, Onomasticon places it 21 Roman miles S. of Pella. This is the modern Tell 'Amāteh , on the south bank of Wâdy er -Rujeib , 15 miles South of Pella, and nearly 5 miles North of the Jabbok. Buhl (GAP , 259) objects to the identification that Tell 'Amāteh corresponds to the Asophon of Josephus (Ant. , XIII , xii, 5). But this objection does not seem well founded.