{
  "id": "dict_002118",
  "term": "Gath-Rimmon",
  "slug": "gath-rimmon",
  "letter": "G",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A biblical Levitical town named in the allotment lists of Joshua and Chronicles.",
  "simple_one_line": "Gath-Rimmon is an Old Testament place-name for a Levitical town in Israel.",
  "tooltip_text": "A Levitical town named in Joshua and Chronicles; its exact location is debated.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Aijalon",
    "Dan",
    "Kohathites",
    "Levitical cities",
    "Joshua",
    "Chronicles"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Tribal allotments",
    "Levites",
    "biblical geography",
    "Levitical inheritance"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Gath-Rimmon is a biblical place-name associated with Levitical city lists in the Old Testament. It is a geographic term, not a theological doctrine, and its exact location is not certain.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A Levitical town mentioned in the Old Testament allotment lists.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Appears in Joshua and Chronicles.",
    "Associated with the Levites and Israel’s tribal inheritance.",
    "Exact site identification is debated.",
    "The term is geographic rather than doctrinal."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Gath-Rimmon is an Old Testament place-name associated with Levitical cities. The biblical data places it within Israel’s inherited land and links it to the Levitical distribution of towns. The precise identification of the site is uncertain, but the term itself functions as a geographic marker rather than a theological concept.",
  "description_academic_full": "Gath-Rimmon is a biblical place-name appearing in the Old Testament city lists connected with the Levites. It is named among towns in the inheritance lists and in passages describing Levitical settlements. Because the relevant texts are list material rather than narrative, interpreters focus mainly on geography and harmonization rather than doctrine. The exact identification of Gath-Rimmon is debated, but Scripture presents it as a real town within Israel’s land allotments. As a dictionary entry, the term belongs in the category of biblical geography rather than theological vocabulary.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Gath-Rimmon appears in the tribal and Levitical settlement lists. These passages show how Israel’s land was distributed among tribes and how the Levites were provided towns within those tribal inheritances. The term is tied to Scripture’s historical record of settlement in the land.",
  "background_historical_context": "The Old Testament lists of towns reflect Israel’s organization in the land after conquest and settlement. Because place-names can recur or be transmitted with slight textual complexity, some local identifications remain uncertain. Gath-Rimmon is best read as part of that historical-geographical framework.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Israel, Levitical towns functioned as scattered centers for priestly and Levitical residence within tribal territories. Place-lists were important for inheritance, administration, and covenant memory. Gath-Rimmon belongs to that world of tribal allotment and sacred geography.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Joshua 19:45",
    "Joshua 21:24-25",
    "1 Chronicles 6:69-70"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Joshua 19:40-48",
    "Joshua 21:1-42",
    "1 Chronicles 6:54-81"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew גַּת־רִמּוֹן (Gath-rimmôn). The name is commonly taken to mean something like 'winepress of Rimmon,' though the exact etymology is not certain.",
  "theological_significance": "Gath-Rimmon has no major doctrinal content in itself, but it reminds readers that Scripture is rooted in real places and historical inheritance. The Levitical town lists also highlight God’s provision for worship and covenant order in Israel.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "Proper names in Scripture require grammatical-historical reading. A place-name may carry historical significance without becoming a theological term. The main interpretive task is to read the text as geography, history, and covenant arrangement rather than forcing symbolic meaning into the name.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not overstate certainty about the precise archaeological location. The biblical references establish the town as part of Israel’s settlement pattern, but they do not by themselves settle every modern identification question. Avoid turning a place-name into a doctrinal category.",
  "major_views_note": "Readers generally agree that Gath-Rimmon is a Levitical town name. The main discussion concerns whether all references point to one site, how the town should be located, and how the list material in Joshua and Chronicles should be harmonized.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry is descriptive geography. It should not be used to build doctrine or to speculate beyond the biblical text. Uncertainty about the town’s exact location does not affect the authority of Scripture.",
  "practical_significance": "The entry helps Bible readers track Israel’s inheritance lists and understand that the biblical record is anchored in identifiable, real-world places. It also encourages careful attention to names and locations in Scripture.",
  "meta_description": "Gath-Rimmon is a biblical place-name for a Levitical town mentioned in Joshua and Chronicles; its exact location is debated.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/gath-rimmon/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/gath-rimmon.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}