Zarethan

Zair´uh-than

A city in the Jordan Valley whose location has not been firmly established. It was beside the clay ground where Solomon’s Phoenician smith cast bronze utensils for the Temple (1Kgs 7:46; 2Chr 4:17). When Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River, water backed up near Zarethan (Josh 3:16). In the period of the judges, Gideon pursued the Midianites toward Zarethan (Judg 7:22). Again during Solomon’s reign it is mentioned as belonging to one of his administrative districts (1Kgs 4:12).