Joshua 15:5 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Their border in the north quarter. — This can be followed with the Ordnance Survey of Palestine, and is described by Conder in the following way: — “It started from the Jordan mouth, but did not apparently follow the river, as Beth Arabah (unknown) and Beth Hogla (’Ain Hajlah, about two miles west of Jordan — sheet 18) belonged to Benjamin. Passing along the valley of Achor (Wâdy Kelt), it left Gilgal on the north, and ascended the pass to the going up of Adummim (Tal’at-ed-Dumm), the ancient and modern name ‘bloody’ being apparently derived from the brick-red marls here found amid a district of white chalk.” (It is easy to conjecture other reasons.) A line of Roman road on the map is a very fair guide to the boundary here described, and thus far it lies on sheet 18 En Rogel, the next known point (on sheet 17), close to Zoheleth (Zahweileh, 1 Kings 1:9), was evidently the present spring ‘Ain Umm-ed-Deraj, in the Kedron Valley (this may be sought in the separate survey of Jerusalem, which is upon a larger scale). Thence the border ran across the slope (Cataph, Joshua 15:8, “side”), beside the valley of Ben Hinnom (Wâdy Rabâby), south of Jebus, and thus reached the watershed. (Here the boundary-line takes a turn to the northward.) It then apparently passed along the broad vale (Emek, Joshua 15:8) of Rephaim (“valley of the giants”), which Josephus makes to extend towards Bethlehem. This valley is identified with El-Bukeia (sheet 17). The waters of Nephtoah are apparently identical with ‘Ain ’Atân, south-west of Bethlehem.