Dothan, a place where Joseph found his brothers and was later sold into slavery (Genesis 37:17).
Dothan was a place located in the territory of Israel, mentioned in two significant events in the Bible. First, it was the place where Joseph found his brothers tending their flocks after being sent by his father, Israel (or 'Jacob') (Genesis 37:17). It was near Dothan that Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery to a caravan of Ishmaelites traveling to Egypt. Later, during the time of the prophet Elisha, the king of Aram sent his army to capture Elisha at Dothan (2Ki.6.13). God protected Elisha by revealing the presence of heavenly chariots and horses surrounding the city. Dothan was located near the major trade routes between Egypt and Mesopotamia, making it a strategic location for both commercial and military purposes.
Approximate location: 32.421, 35.180 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Two wells, a famous pasture-ground where Joseph found his brethren watching their flocks. Here, at the suggestion of Judah, they sold him to the Ishmaelite merchants (Gen. 37:17). It is mentioned on monuments in B.C. 1600. It was the residence of Elisha (2 Kings 6:13), and the scene of a remarkable vision of chariots and horses of fire surrounding the mountain on which the city stood. It is identified with the modern Tell-Dothan, on the south side of the plain of Jezreel, about 12 miles north of Samaria, among the hills of Gilboa. The “two wells” are still in existence, one of which bears the name of the “pit of Joseph” (Jubb Yusuf).
(two wells), a place first mentioned (Genesis 37:17) in connection with the history of Joseph, and apparently as in the neighborhood of Shechem. It next appears as the residence of Elisha. (2 Kings 6:13) It was known to Eusebius, who places it 12 miles to the north of Sebaste (Samaria); and here it has been discovered in our own times, still bearing its ancient name unimpaired.
DO'THAN (two cisterns), where Joseph found his brethren, Gen 37:17, and Elisha resided. 2 Kgs 6:13. It was on the south side of the plain of Jezreel, 12 miles north of Samaria; now called Tell-Dothda, 5 miles south-west of Jenin. Numerous bottle-shaped cisterns hewn in the rock are still found, which are supposed to resemble the "pit" of Gen 37:24. Caravans still pass this place, as of old, on their way from Damascus to Egypt.
DO'THAN (two cisterns), where Joseph found his brethren, Gen 37:17, and Elisha resided. 2 Kgs 6:13. It was on the south side of the plain of Jezreel, 12 miles north of Samaria; now called Tell-Dothda, 5 miles south-west of Jenin. Numerous bottle-shaped cisterns hewn in the rock are still found, which are supposed to resemble the "pit" of Gen 37:24. Caravans still pass this place, as of old, on their way from Damascus to Egypt. DO TO WIT means to make known. 2 Cor 8:1.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
2 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1886
“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,”
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.