Timnath
The city where Samson took a woman: a Philistine who betrayed him during his wedding, and whom he abandoned[1].
Description
This biblical city is mentioned only once in the work of Maria Valtorta. Jesus shows the Apostles the magnificent panorama (Judea) of the historic cities of Israel around Beth Gimmal. "Over there, all sunlit, Zorah (Soréa, Çoréa), the homeland of Samson, and a little further east Timnath, where he took a woman and where he performed many feats and follies"[2].
These "feats and follies" of Samson are reported in Judges 14: Samson insists on marrying a Philistine from Timnath. On the way, he kills a young lion with his bare hands. This inspires a riddle which becomes the subject of a bet with the wedding guests. When they cannot solve it, they bribe the young bride who extracts the answer from Samson for them.
According to Maria Valtorta, Timnath would therefore be located a little east of Zorah (Soréa, Çoréa) (the homeland of Samson), which remains entirely compatible with the biblical context[3].
Its name
Timnath, Timnatha, Timna. The meaning of this name remains uncertain: it could indicate a territorial division, or it could be a personal name (Timna was, for example, the concubine of Eliphaz, son of Esau[4]).
Where is it mentioned in the work?
EMV 215
Learn more about this place
The location of this village is still uncertain. At least two Khirbet Timna sites[5] are known in this area. Historians today place Timna further west, between Ekron and Beth Shemesh, but without real justification[6].
Explore
- 31° 46’ 13’’ N / 35° 00’ 16’’ E /
- +275m
Notes and references
- ↑ Article partially written based on the Geographical Dictionary of the Gospel, J.-F. LAVÈRE.
- ↑ EMV 215.2.
- ↑ Judges 13,1-6 | Judges 14,1-5 | Joshua 15,10-57 | Joshua 19,43 | 2 Chronicles 28,18.
- ↑ Genesis 36,12.
- ↑ "Khirbet" means "ruins".
- ↑ See the Tel Batash excavations in 1977.