Beth-shemesh

Beth-shemesh, meaning 'house of the sun,' was a town on Judah's border in the Sorek Valley, given to the priests as one of their cities. It is remembered above all as the place where the ark of the covenant came home. After seven months of plagues in Philistia, the Philistines placed the ark on a new cart pulled by two milch kine, and the cows went straight along the highway to Beth-shemesh, lowing as they went, while the townspeople were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. The people rejoiced and offered the cows as a burnt offering, but when some of the men looked into the ark, the LORD struck them, and the town asked, 'Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?' and sent the ark on to Kirjath-jearim. Generations later, Beth-shemesh was also where King Jehoash of Israel defeated and captured King Amaziah of Judah.

0:00

Details

Region: Canaan
Modern Location: Tel Beit Shemesh, beside the modern city of Beit Shemesh, Israel

Strongest connections in Scripture

1 Samuel 6 2× 2 Kings 14 Joshua 21

Journey Paths

Amaziah's Journey

Jerusalem → Petra/Edom → Beth-shemesh

Jehoash (of Israel)'s Journey

Samaria → Jerusalem → Beth-shemesh

Key Passages

The Ark Returns to Beth-shemesh

1 Samuel 6:12-15

Two cows leave their calves and carry the ark straight to Israel, and the reapers rejoice to see it.

A¹²nd the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.

¹³ And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. ¹⁴ And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. ¹⁵ And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.

Judgment at Beth-shemesh

1 Samuel 6:19-21

Looking into the ark brings judgment, and the town sends it on to Kirjath-jearim.

A¹⁹nd he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

²⁰ And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? ²¹ And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

Amaziah Defeated at Beth-shemesh

2 Kings 14:11-13

Amaziah's pride leads to Judah's defeat and his capture by Jehoash of Israel.

B¹¹ut Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

¹² And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents. ¹³ And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

A City of the Priests

Joshua 21:16

Beth-shemesh is among the cities given to the descendants of Aaron.

A¹⁶nd Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

Did You Know?

Beth-shemesh means 'house of the sun,' likely recalling an older Canaanite sun shrine.

The cows that pulled the ark home had never been yoked, and they left their calves behind, a sign the Philistines read as God's hand.

Beth-shemesh was one of the cities given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

Key Chapters

1 Samuel 6 The Ark Returned 5 min read 2 Kings 14 Amaziah King of Judah 5 min read Joshua 21 Cities for the Levites 6 min read