{
  "id": "dict_000412",
  "term": "Ashteroth-Karnaim",
  "slug": "ashteroth-karnaim",
  "letter": "A",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A biblical place-name in Bashan, mentioned in Genesis 14:5 as a location associated with the Rephaim. It is a geographical term rather than a theological concept.",
  "simple_one_line": "Ashteroth-Karnaim is an Old Testament place-name associated with Bashan and the Rephaim.",
  "tooltip_text": "An Old Testament location in Bashan, likely connected with the city of Ashtaroth.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Bashan",
    "Rephaim",
    "Og",
    "Ashtaroth",
    "Genesis 14"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Deuteronomy 1:4",
    "Joshua 12:4",
    "Joshua 13:12",
    "biblical geography"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Ashteroth-Karnaim is an Old Testament place-name linked to the region of Bashan east of the Jordan. In Genesis 14:5 it appears in the account of a campaign against the Rephaim, and it is commonly connected with the broader city of Ashtaroth.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical location | Bashan | Genesis 14:5 | Associated with the Rephaim",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A place-name, not a doctrinal term",
    "Mentioned in Genesis 14:5",
    "Likely connected with Ashtaroth in Bashan",
    "Its exact location is not certain"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Ashteroth-Karnaim is a biblical place-name mentioned in Genesis 14:5 in connection with the Rephaim. It is generally understood as a location in Bashan east of the Jordan, though its precise identification remains uncertain.",
  "description_academic_full": "Ashteroth-Karnaim is an Old Testament geographical name appearing in Genesis 14:5 as part of the narrative of Chedorlaomer's campaign against the Rephaim. The term is commonly associated with Bashan, the region east of the Jordan River, and is often linked to the city of Ashtaroth mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament. Scripture presents it as a real location within the biblical story, but the exact site and historical details cannot be stated with certainty. Because it functions as a place-name rather than a theological or doctrinal term, it is best treated as a biblical geography entry.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Genesis 14 places Ashteroth-Karnaim among the cities and peoples encountered in a military campaign involving the Rephaim. The name therefore contributes to the early biblical setting in which the patriarchal narratives intersect with known regions east of the Jordan.",
  "background_historical_context": "The name is usually connected with Bashan, an area known in the Old Testament for strong cities and for the kingdom later associated with Og. Historical identification is uncertain, and proposals often relate it to Ashtaroth rather than a separate, well-defined site.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Ancient readers would have recognized Ashteroth-Karnaim as part of the Bashan region associated with powerful peoples and cities east of the Jordan. Later Jewish and historical discussion tends to treat it as a real but difficult-to-identify locality rather than as a symbolic term.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Genesis 14:5"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Deuteronomy 1:4",
    "Joshua 12:4",
    "Joshua 13:12"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The name reflects a Hebrew geographical designation. The second element is commonly understood as a descriptive form, but the exact etymology and identification are debated and should not be overstated.",
  "theological_significance": "Ashteroth-Karnaim has limited direct theological content, but it supports the historical credibility and geographical specificity of the biblical narrative. It also appears in a context that highlights the presence of pre-Israelite peoples and the scope of God's dealings in history.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place-name, Ashteroth-Karnaim reminds readers that biblical revelation is set in real space and history. The text uses geography not as decoration but as part of an accountable historical claim.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not build doctrine on speculative identification of the site. The exact location is uncertain, and the term should not be expanded beyond what Scripture clearly states.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters connect Ashteroth-Karnaim with Ashtaroth in Bashan or a related site in the same region; a minority of proposals attempt finer distinctions, but certainty is limited.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry should remain descriptive and historical. It should not be treated as a symbolic or doctrinal term, and no theological claims should be derived from uncertain archaeological identification.",
  "practical_significance": "For Bible readers, Ashteroth-Karnaim is a reminder that the Old Testament narrative is rooted in real places and peoples. It also encourages careful reading of biblical geography without overclaiming what the text does not specify.",
  "meta_description": "Ashteroth-Karnaim is a biblical place-name in Bashan, mentioned in Genesis 14:5 and associated with the Rephaim.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/ashteroth-karnaim/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/ashteroth-karnaim.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}