International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Shaphir
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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Shaphir
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shā´fẽr (ש×פיר, shaÌ„phı̄r, “glitteringâ€; καλῶς, kaloÌ„Ìs; the King James Version Saphir): One of a group of towns mentioned in -15. From the association with Gath, Achzib (of Judah) and Mareshah, it would seem that the places mentioned were in Southwestern Palestine. According to Eusebius, in Onomasticon, there was a ΣαφειÌÏ, SapheıÌr, “in the hill country†(from a confusion with Shamir (), where Septuagint A has Sapheir) between Eleutheropolis and Ascalon. The name probably survives in that of three villages called es-SuÌ„aÌ„fir, in the plain, some 3 1/2 miles Southeast of Ashdod (PEF, II, 413, Sh XV). Cheyne (EB, col. 4282) suggests the white “glittering†hill Tell esÌ£-SÌ£aÌ„fı, at the entrance to the WaÌ‚dy esÌ£-Sunt, which was known to the Crusaders as Blanchegarde, but this site seems a more probable one for GATH (which see).