Bet (H)-Rehob

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BET (H)-REHOB

BET (H)-REHOB (Heb. בֵּית רְחוֹב), biblical city, dynasty, or district, that gave its name to one of the *Aramean states existing at the time of David. In Num. 13:21 we have the phrase "to Rehob at Lebo-Hamath." The city Laish-Dan is placed specifically in the "valley that belongs to Beth-Rehob" (Judg. 18:28) but its exact location remains unknown. The Arameans of Beth-Rehob were among the mercenaries hired by the Ammonites to fight Israel; they were thoroughly routed first by Joab at Medeba and then by David (ii Sam. 10:6ff.; i Chron. 19:6ff.). It has been assumed that *Aram-Zobah, which is closely associated with Beth-Rehob/Rehob (ii Sam. 10:6, 8; and see ii Sam. 8:3, 12), already held the other Aramean kingdoms under its sway at that time; the period of Israelite control was broken by *Damascus, who took the lead in revolting against Solomon. The last appearance of Rehob may be in an inscription of Shalmaneser iii (853 b.c.e.), which mentions a certain Ba'sa son of Ruhubi from Amana, in a list of Syrian-Palestinian kings.

bibliography:

em, s.v.; Bright, Hist, 181. add. bibliography: B. Levine, Numbers 1–20 (1993), 354; G. Herion, in: abd, 1, 692; S. Bar-Efrat, ii Samuel (Heb., 1996), 86.

[Michael Avi-Yonah /

S. David Sperling (2nd ed.)]