Bethlebaoth
Beth-leb'aoth (Heb. Beyth Lebaoth', בֵּית לבָאוֹת, house of lionesses, Sept. Βηθλεβαώθ v. r. Βαιθαλβάθ and Βαθαρώθ), a town in the lot of Simeon (Jos 19:6), and therefore in the extreme south of Judah (15:32, where it is called simply LEBAOTH SEE LEBAOTH [q.v.]), probably in the wild country to which its name bears witness. In the parallel list in 1Ch 4:31, the name is given BETH-BIREI. Reland (Pal/est. p. 648) conjectures that it may have been the "toparchy of Bethleptephae" (Βεθληπτηφῶν), mentioned by Josephus (War, 4, 8, 1) and Pliny (Betleptephene, 5, 15), south of Jerusalem; but this is hardly probable (see also the improbable surmise of Korb in Jahn's Jahrb. f. Philol. 4, 114 sq.).
