John Gill Commentary Joshua 15:53

"and Janim, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah," — Joshua 15:53 (ASV)

And Janum
Under the word "Janum", Jerome writes ^F12 , there is a village called Janua, three miles from Legion to the south, but seems not to be what is written;

and Bethtappuah
is by Jerome called Bethaphu ^F13 , and said to be a village in the tribe of Judah, fourteen miles beyond Raphia, as you go to Egypt, which is the border of Palestine;

and Aphekah ;
Jerome speaks ^F14 of a large castle in his time called Apheca, near the town of Palestine; there were several places of the name of Aphek; (See Gill on Joshua 12:18).

As for Bethtappuah, it seems to be a place which was dedicated to a deity to which apples were sacred, in memory of the apple by which mankind was seduced; there was in later times a goddess called Pomona from hence.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F12: De loc. Heb. fol. 92. I.
• F13: Ibid. fol. 89. F.
• F14: Ibid. fol. 88. D.