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ē´dẽr (עדר, ‛eÌ„dher, “flockâ€):
(1) One of the “uttermost cities†of Judah in the Negeb (“Southâ€) near the border of Edom (), possibly Kḣ el ‛Adar, 5 miles South of Gaza, but probably this is too far west. (2) Eder (the King James Version Edar) or better Migdal Eder, מגדּל־עדר, mighdal ‛eÌ„dher, “the tower of the flockâ€; ΓαÌδεÏ, GaÌderÌŒ. After Rachel died and was buried “in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem) ... Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder†(, ). In he is described as proceeding to Hebron. This “tower of the flock,†which may have been only a tower and no town, must therefore be looked for between Bethlehem and Hebron. Jerome says that it was one Roman mile from Bethlehem. In the Septuagint, however, and are transposed, which suggests that there may have been a tradition that Migdal Eder was between Bethel and Bethlehem. There must have been many such towers for guarding flocks against robbers. Compare “tower of the watchman†(, etc.). The phrase “Migdal Eder†occurs in where Jerusalem is compared to such a tower.