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Chorath, Kerith (), or sometimes Cherith (; from the
The Gospel of John: Introduction, Exposition, Notes
p. 339. Eerdmans, 3rd edition (1994) mentioned in the
Chorath, Kerith (), or sometimes Cherith (; from the Septuagint
The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...
's ), is the name of a wadi or seasonal streamFrederick Fyvie BruceThe Gospel of John: Introduction, Exposition, Notes
p. 339. Eerdmans, 3rd edition (1994) mentioned in the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Elijah hid himself on the banks of the Chorath and was fed by ravens during the early part of the three years' drought which he announced to King Ahab ().
allow such an interpretation, by stating that Chorath is merely "near the Yarden" (Yarden being the Hebrew name of the River Jordan).
. '' Elijah hid himself on the banks of the Chorath and was fed by ravens during the early part of the three years' drought which he announced to King Ahab ().
Etymology and toponymy
Cherith is a common English spelling of the Hebrew name, which comes from the Hebrew root meaning "to cut off" or "cut down". The name also signifies ''to engrave'' or ''carve'', ''a cutting'', ''separation'', ''gorge'', ''torrent-bed'', or ''winter-stream''. Chorath is the name used in the 3rd-century BCE Greek translation of theTorah
The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...
known as the Septuagint
The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...
.
The Kerith is a ''naḥal'' in Hebrew, a wadi or seasonal stream.
Identification
Wadi al-Yabis
It is usually identified with Wadi al-Yabis, a stream in westernJordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
, which flows into the Jordan River at a spot opposite of Beit She'an
Beit She'an ( '), also known as Beisan ( '), or Beth-shean, is a town in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. The town lies at the Beit She'an Valley about 120 m (394 feet) below sea level.
Beit She'an is believed to ...
and slightly south of it. Travellers have described it as one of the wildest ravines of the Fertile Crescent
The Fertile Crescent () is a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East, spanning modern-day Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, together with northern Kuwait, south-eastern Turkey, and western Iran. Some authors also include ...
, and peculiarly fitted to afford a secure asylum to the persecuted. During the summer, the stream is very dry. Olive trees grow on its banks, and it is home to an array of wildlife including gazelle, hyrax, and egret.
According to the 1994 Peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
can maintain its use of the Jordan River waters between the Yarmouk and Wadi al-Yabis.
Wadi Kelt
Some identify the stream Chorath with Wadi Qelt at the Monastery of Saint George of Choziba. If 1 Kings 17:3 is to be translated "Wadi Chorath, which is east of the Jordan", this identification would be in contradiction to the Bible, since Wadi Qelt is west of it. TheKing James version
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English Bible translations, Early Modern English translation of the Christianity, Christian Bible for the Church of England, wh ...
states Elijah should "turn eastward" (from Samaria
Samaria (), the Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Shomron (), is used as a historical and Hebrew Bible, biblical name for the central region of the Land of Israel. It is bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The region is ...
); therefore, the brook could be anywhere east of Samaria (now Sebastia, West Bank
The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
), on either side of the River Jordan. Some translations (i.e. the Orthodox Jewish Bibleallow such an interpretation, by stating that Chorath is merely "near the Yarden" (Yarden being the Hebrew name of the River Jordan).
Wadi Fusail
Conder and Kitchener noted, while writing of Qaryut, that " is place, being at the head of ''Wady Fusail'', seems to have given rise to the mediaeval identification of that valley as the ''Brook Cherith'' (mentioned by Marino Sanuto in 1321)." Sanuto commented that the stream extended into Phasaelis, which was named after Prince Phasael, the brother of King Herod. This identification would again contradict the more common translation of 1 Kings 17:3 (see comment above at "Wadi Kelt"), since Wadi Fusail with both modern Qaryut and ancient Phasaelis lie west, not east of the Jordan.Other uses of the name
The name is also a Mizrahi Jewish surname, specifically amongYemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews, also known as Yemeni Jews or Teimanim (from ; ), are a Jewish diaspora group who live, or once lived, in Yemen, and their descendants maintaining their customs. After several waves of antisemitism, persecution, the vast majority ...
. They descend from the Banu al-Harith, which is of Qahtanite origin and was once one of the most important tribes of the city of Najran. Norman A. Stillman, ''The Jews of Arab lands: A history and source book'', p. 117
Irish novelist, short-story writer, poet, art critic, memoirist, and dramatist George Moore (1852–1933) wrote ''The Brook Kerith: A Syrian Story'', which was published in 1916. It is a retelling of the New Testament
The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
account of Jesus's life.
References
{{coord missing, Israel Surnames of Mizrahi Jewish origin Qahtanites Torah places Wadis of Israel Wadis of Jordan Hebrew Bible rivers Canyons and gorges Fluvial landforms Valleys of Asia