בית שמש

Hebrew

Etymology

Roots
ב־י־ת (b-y-t)
שׁ־מ־שׁ (sh-m-sh)

From בית (bet, “house of”) +‎ שמש (shémesh, “sun”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bet ˈʃe.meʃ/

Proper noun

בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ • (bet shémesh)

1. Beth-shemesh, Beit Shemesh (a city in central Israel)
   • Tanach, 1 Samuel 6:12, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיִּשַּׁרְנָה הַפָּרוֹת בַּדֶּרֶךְ עַל־דֶּרֶךְ בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ בִּמְסִלָּה אַחַת הָלְכוּ הָלֹךְ וְגָעוֹ וְלֹא־סָרוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול וְסַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הֹלְכִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם עַד־גְּבוּל בֵּית שָׁמֶשׁ׃

     vayisárna haparót badérekh al dérekh bet shémesh bim'silá akhát halkhú halókh v'ga'ú v'lo sáru yamín usmól v'sarné p'lishtím holkhím akharehém ad g'vúl bet shámesh

     And the kine took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.

2. (archaic, Biblical Hebrew) (historical) Heliopolis (The ancient capital of the 13th nome of Lower Egypt, located in the northern suburbs of modern Cairo, Egypt; known in Ancient Egyptian as Iunu and in later Coptic as On)

   Synonym: אוֹן (On)

   • Tanach, Jeremiah 43:13:

     וְשִׁבַּר אֶת־מַצְּבוֹת בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּי אֱלֹהֵי־מִצְרַיִם יִשְׂרֹף בָּאֵשׁ׃

     v'shibár et mats'vót bet shémesh ashér b'érets mitsráyim v'et baté elohé mitsráyim yisróf ba'ésh

     And He will shatter the pillars of Heliopolis in the land of Egypt, and the houses of the gods of Egypt he will burn in fire.