Place Old Testament
Ether
Ether, a city allotted to the tribes of Judah and Simeon in the Shephelah region. Mentioned in 2 verses across 1 book, first at Joshua 15:42.
Why it matters. City allotted to Judah and Simeon
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.810, 34.937 (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 Ether
Ether is mentioned in the Book of Joshua as a city that was allotted to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:42) and later given to the tribe of Simeon as part of their inheritance within Judah's territory (Joshua 19:7).
The city is listed among other cities in the Shephelah, the lowland region between the coastal plain and the Judean hills. In Joshua 15:42, Ether is mentioned alongside Libnah, Ashan, and Ashnah, while in Joshua 19:7, it is listed with Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen as part of Simeon's inheritance.
No other details about Ether are provided in the Bible, and its exact location is unknown. The Shephelah was known for its fertile soil and served as a buffer zone between the Israelites and the Philistines, who occupied the coastal plain.
The mention of Ether in the lists of cities allotted to Judah and Simeon helps to define the extent of their territories and provides insight into the geography of the region during the time of the Israelite conquest and settlement of Canaan.
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 2 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.