Pirathon
Pir'athon (Heb. Pirathons, פַּרעָתוֹן, Gesen. princely; First, a cleft or creek; Sept. Φαραθών, v. r. Φαραθώμ and Φραθών), the name of one or two places in Palestine. We read in the book of Judges that "Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel, . . . and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites" (12:13, 15). The city is not again mentioned in the Bible; but among David's mighty men was "Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim" (1Ch 27:14; 1Ch 11:31; 2Sa 23:30). The city of Pirathon was therefore situated in the territory of Ephraim, and among the mountains, apparently where a colony of the wandering Amalekites had settled. Jerome mentions it (Onomast. s.v. Fraaton), but does not appear to have known anything of it. It is mentioned, however, by the accurate old traveller hap-Parchi as lying about two hours west of Shechem, and called Fer'ata (Asher's Bejammin of Tud. 2, 426). About six miles W.S.W. of Nebulus, upon the summit of a tell among low hills, still stands the little village of 1'ea'ata, which is doubtless identical with the ancient Pirathon (Robinson, Bib. Res. 3, 134). According to Schwarz (Palest. p. 151), it is identified, by Astori with the modern village Pretha, on the mountain of Amalek, five English miles west of Shechem, doubtless referring to the same place. Josephus mentions a Pharathon (Φαραθών), grouping it between Timnah and Tekoa (Ant. 13, 1, 3); and the same name occurs in 1 Mace. 9:50 (Φαραθωνι), among the towns whose ruined fortifications were restored by Bacchides, in his campaign against the Jews; but it could scarcely have been identical with the Pirathon of Ephraim, though the names are the same. This city was probably situated somewhere in the wilderness of Judah; but the site has not been discovered. SEE PIRATHONITE.
