Anathoth
/ˈænəθɒθ/noun
An ancient town in the biblical land of Benjamin, traditionally identified as the birthplace of the prophet Jeremiah.
Did you know?The name may preserve a memory of Anat, a powerful West Semitic goddess associated with warfare, sexuality, and fertility, although the exact derivation remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
2nd Millennium BCE
Northwest Semitic
ʿAnat
“The name of Anat, a West Semitic goddess associated especially with war and fertility.”
Late Bronze Age
Ugaritic
ʿnt
“Anat, a prominent goddess in texts from the ancient city of Ugarit.”
Iron Age
Biblical Hebrew
עֲנָתוֹת (ʿĂnāṯōṯ)
“Anathoth; traditionally understood as a place-name connected with Anat, possibly meaning “places of Anat” or “Anat’s place.””
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Ἀναθώθ (Anathōth)
“Anathoth, the form used in the Greek biblical tradition.”
16th Century onward
English
Anathoth
“The established English form of the biblical place-name, associated with the town near Jerusalem and the prophet Jeremiah.”
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