{
  "id": "dict_004469",
  "term": "Pirathon",
  "slug": "pirathon",
  "letter": "P",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Pirathon was a town in the hill country of Ephraim, known as the home of Abdon the judge and Benaiah the Pirathonite, one of David’s mighty men.",
  "simple_one_line": "Pirathon was an Israelite town in Ephraim’s hill country.",
  "tooltip_text": "A town in the hill country of Ephraim, remembered as the home of Abdon the judge and Benaiah the Pirathonite.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Judges",
    "Abdon",
    "Benaiah",
    "David’s mighty men",
    "Ephraim"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Hill country of Ephraim",
    "Pirathonite"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Pirathon is an Old Testament place-name for a town in the hill country of Ephraim. It is best known as the hometown of Abdon, one of Israel’s judges, and as the place associated with Benaiah the Pirathonite among David’s mighty men.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical town in Ephraim’s hill country",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A real place-name in Israel",
    "Home of Abdon the judge",
    "Associated with Benaiah the Pirathonite",
    "Exact archaeological location remains uncertain"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Pirathon was an Israelite town in the hill country of Ephraim. Scripture identifies Abdon, one of Israel’s judges, as a Pirathonite, and it also names Benaiah the Pirathonite among David’s mighty men. The exact site is not certain, but the biblical references treat it as a real place in Israel.",
  "description_academic_full": "Pirathon is a place-name in the Old Testament, identified as a town in the hill country of Ephraim. It is chiefly remembered as the hometown of Abdon, who judged Israel after Ibzan and Elon, and it is also associated with Benaiah the Pirathonite in David’s list of mighty men. The Bible’s references present Pirathon as an actual Israelite settlement rather than a theological concept. The precise archaeological identification of the site is uncertain, but the biblical data are clear enough to locate it generally within Ephraim’s hill country.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Judges 12 records Abdon’s sons and grandsons and identifies him as a Pirathonite, linking Pirathon to the period of the judges. In the historical books, Benaiah the Pirathonite appears in the lists of David’s mighty men, showing that the name was remembered in Israel’s later monarchy as a place of origin.",
  "background_historical_context": "Pirathon appears to have been a settlement in the central hill country of Israel, within the broader tribal territory of Ephraim. Its exact location has not been securely identified, so cautious language is appropriate when discussing archaeology or mapping.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Ancient readers would have recognized Pirathon as a local Israelite place-name tied to a family or clan origin. The biblical text preserves it as a historical marker rather than as a symbolic or theological term.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Judges 12:13-15",
    "2 Samuel 23:30"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Chronicles 11:31"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The Hebrew form is פִּרְעָתוֹן (Pirʿathon / Pirathon), a proper place-name.",
  "theological_significance": "Pirathon itself carries no major doctrinal theme, but it illustrates the Bible’s rootedness in real geography and historical memory. The mention of a specific hometown also helps anchor the narratives of the judges and David’s warriors in concrete places.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place-name, Pirathon is important because Scripture regularly connects theological events to actual locations and historical persons. This supports the Bible’s claim to be recounting real history, not abstract religious myth.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not overstate certainty about the site’s modern identification. The biblical references are clear, but archaeology has not fixed the exact location beyond doubt.",
  "major_views_note": "Interpreters generally agree that Pirathon is a literal town-name. Discussion usually concerns its precise location, not its meaning or existence.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Pirathon should be treated as a geographical entry, not as a theological doctrine or symbol. Claims beyond the biblical references should remain tentative.",
  "practical_significance": "Pirathon reminds Bible readers that even brief place-names in Scripture often preserve important historical context. It also encourages careful attention to the geography behind biblical events.",
  "meta_description": "Pirathon was a biblical town in the hill country of Ephraim, best known as the home of Abdon the judge and Benaiah the Pirathonite.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/pirathon/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/pirathon.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}