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Kartah

biblical_place theological_term standard

Kartah is a biblical town name in the territory of Zebulun, later listed among the towns allotted to the Levites.

At a Glance

Kartah was a town in the tribe of Zebulun that was assigned to the Levites.

Key Points

Description

Kartah is a biblical place name rather than a theological concept. In the Old Testament it is listed as a town in the territory of Zebulun and among the towns given to the Levites. The biblical record supplies little additional historical detail, and no doctrine depends on the location itself. Its significance lies mainly in the way it reflects Israel’s tribal inheritance and the provision made for priestly and Levitical service.

Biblical Context

Kartah appears in the Old Testament town lists connected with Zebulun and the Levitical towns. Like other named settlements in Joshua, it helps locate Israel’s tribal inheritance and the distribution of towns to the Levites.

Historical Context

Beyond its appearance in Joshua’s town lists, Kartah is not well-attested in the broader historical record. The name functions as part of the administrative and geographic picture of settlement in ancient Israel.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In ancient Israel, tribal allotments and Levitical towns were tied to covenant life, worship, and inheritance. Kartah belongs to that framework as one of the named settlements associated with Zebulun and the Levites.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew place name: קַרְתָּה (Kartah). The form is a toponym and should be read as a location name rather than a theological term.

Theological Significance

Kartah has no direct doctrinal teaching of its own, but it reflects God’s ordering of Israel’s inheritance and the provision of towns for the Levites.

Philosophical Explanation

As a named place in Scripture, Kartah illustrates how the Bible preserves concrete geography as part of salvation history. Its value is historical and canonical rather than conceptual or philosophical.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat Kartah as a doctrinal term. The biblical data are sparse, so details beyond its appearance in the town lists should be held cautiously.

Major Views

There is little interpretive debate about Kartah itself; the main issue is simply its identification as a biblical place name rather than a theological category.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Kartah should not be used to build doctrine. Its significance is limited to biblical geography, tribal inheritance, and the Levitical settlement pattern.

Practical Significance

Kartah reminds readers that Scripture is rooted in real places and real covenant arrangements. Even obscure towns belong to the carefully ordered life of Israel under God.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Kartah

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