Editing Ephrath

{{Short description|Historical name for Bethlehem}}
'''Ephrath''' or '''Ephrathah''' or '''Ephratah''' ({{langx|he|אֶפְרָת \ אֶפְרָתָה}}) is a [[Bible|biblically]] referenced former name of [[Bethlehem]],<ref name="Bethlehem">{{cite web|url=http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/ephratah.html |title=Ephratah (Ephrath) (WebBible Encyclopedia) |publisher=ChristianAnswers.Net |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref> meaning "fruitful".<ref>"Ephratah" in Holman Bible Dictionary (Holman: Tennessee, 2003), 500-501</ref> It is also a personal name.

==Biblical place==
A very old tradition holds that Ephrath refers to [[Bethlehem]],<ref name="Bethlehem"/> as the first mention of Ephrath occurs in [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis.35:16-19;48:7|multi=yes}}</ref> in reference to the place where [[Rachel]] died giving birth to [[Benjamin]] and was buried on the road from [[Bethel]]. Evidence that she died on the way there is reflected by the ancient [[Rachel's tomb]] at the city's entrance.

Throughout much of the [[Bible]], Ephrath is a description for members of the Israelite [[tribe of Judah]], as well as for possible founders of Bethlehem.<ref>{{bibleref2|1Chronicles|4:4|9}}</ref>

Ephrath, or Bethlehem, is connected to [[Messiah in Judaism|messianic]] prophecy, as found in the book of the minor prophet [[Book of Micah|Micah]]: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel."<ref>{{bibleref2|Micah|5:2|9}}</ref> This specifies the town of Bethlehem in the southern part of biblical Israel (Judah/Judea), distinguishing it from the Bethlehem located in the north (Galilee). Both Matthew 2 and Luke 2 in the New Testament state that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.

==Personal name==
[[Caleb (son of Hezron)|Caleb]]'s second wife<ref>{{bibleverse|1Chronicles.2:19;2:50|multi=yes}}</ref> was called Ephrath (or Ephrathah).

==Locations named after Ephrath==
Some modern places named after Ephrath include:
*The [[Israeli settlement]] of [[Efrata|Efrat]], near Bethlehem
*The town of [[Ephrata, Pennsylvania]]<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n119 120]}}</ref>
**The [[Ephrata Cloister]], Pennsylvania, United States.
*The town of [[Ephratah, New York]]
*The town of [[Ephrata, Washington]], United States.
*The locality and creek of [[Eprapah]], [[Victoria Point, Queensland|Victoria Point]], near [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]
** Nearby [[Coochiemudlo Island]] also has an Eprapah Street.
* [[Eprapah]], the [[Scouting and Guiding in Queensland|Scout]] environmental education training centre, located at [[Victoria Point, Queensland|Victoria Point]], near [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

[[Category:Torah places]]
[[Category:History of Bethlehem]]
[[Category:Former populated places in West Asia]]
[[Category:Women in the Hebrew Bible]]

[[he:אפרת]]