Located 20km from Jerusalem, the city of Beth Shemesh is mentioned several times in the Bible. Beth Shemesh means 'the House of Sun'. Ir-Shemesh (the City of Sun) in Joshua 19:41 is also identified as Beth Shemesh. The city is most famously known as where the 'Ark of the Covenant' halted on its way from Philistia to Kirjath Jearim. After capturing the Ark of the Covenant and suffering plagues upon their cities, the Philistines returned the Ark to Beth-shemesh. Here is the passage from Bible mentioning the return of the Holy Ark:
"11 And they set the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors. 12 Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh. 13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14 Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the chest that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the LORD" (I Samuel 6:11-15).
Some men looked inside the Ark against God's commandments and as a result 50,070 men of Beth-shemesh were killed. In great fear, the Beth-shemeshites sent the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Kiriath-jearim near Jerusalem, where it remained for twenty years (1 Sam 6:16-21). Beth Shemesh again appears in Bible at the time of a battle between King Amaziah of Judah and king Joash of Israel (II Kings 14:11-14; II Chronicles 25:21-24). Beth Shemesh pops up again when King Ahaz of Judah was taken prisoner by the Philistines (II Chronicles 28:18). The last time Beth Shemesh appears in Bible is in the book of Jeremiah (43:13).
"11 And they set the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors. 12 Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh. 13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14 Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the chest that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the LORD" (I Samuel 6:11-15).
Some men looked inside the Ark against God's commandments and as a result 50,070 men of Beth-shemesh were killed. In great fear, the Beth-shemeshites sent the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Kiriath-jearim near Jerusalem, where it remained for twenty years (1 Sam 6:16-21). Beth Shemesh again appears in Bible at the time of a battle between King Amaziah of Judah and king Joash of Israel (II Kings 14:11-14; II Chronicles 25:21-24). Beth Shemesh pops up again when King Ahaz of Judah was taken prisoner by the Philistines (II Chronicles 28:18). The last time Beth Shemesh appears in Bible is in the book of Jeremiah (43:13).
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