Place Old Testament
Etam
Etam, a city in Judah fortified by King Rehoboam after the division of the kingdom. Mentioned once in Scripture, at 2 Chronicles 11:6.
Why it matters. City fortified by Rehoboam in Judah
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.686, 35.175 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Etam
In 2Ch.11.6, Etam is mentioned as one of the cities that King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, fortified in Judah after the kingdom was divided. Rehoboam's kingdom consisted of the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, while the northern tribes followed Jeroboam I.
As part of his efforts to strengthen his reign and defend his territory, Rehoboam built up the defenses of several key cities, including Etam. The fortification of Etam suggests that it was a strategically important location, possibly guarding a trade route or protecting the southern border of Judah.
The exact location of this Etam is uncertain, but it was likely situated in the hill country of Judah, possibly near Bethlehem. Some scholars propose that it may be the same as the Etam mentioned in Judges 15, where Samson hid from the Philistines, but this is not conclusively established.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
2 Chronicles (1 verse)