MINNITH
MINNITH a town on the E. of Jordan, in the country of the Ammonites (
Judges, 11.33), celebrated for its corn, which was sold for export in the markets of Tyre.: (
Ezech. 27.17.)
The proper name does not occur in the LXX. in either of these passages, reading in the former Arnon (Alex.
Σεμωείθ) and translating a corrupt reading in the latter by
μύρων, after
σίτου, as in the same passage they represent the proper name Pannag by
κασίας. Its situation, as Reland has remarked (
Palaestina, s. v. p. 899), depends on the two questions, (1) of the line of march followed by Jephtha, and (2) of the existence of two Aroers.
There is no proof of the latter hypothesis; and the course of the narrative seems to demand that the former question should be resolved in favour of a course from N. to S. ; which would oblige us to look for Minnith some distance south of Aroer, which was situated, we know, on the river Arnon. [ARNON; AROER.] Josephus names it Maniathe (
Μανιάθη), but gives no clue to its position, further than that it was in Ammanitis. Eusebius places it at Maanith (
Μαανίθ), iv. M. P. from Esbus (Heshbon), on the road to Philadelphia (
Onomast. s. v. Μενσήθ; St. Jerome, Mennith); but this does not accord with the above notifications of its site.
[
G.W]
