Lehi in Hebrew?
‘Nibley further notes the existence of a site known in Arabic as “Beit-Lahi,” which he suggests can be read as “House of LEHI,” in the vicinity of Gaza.[5] There is also a ḫirbet bêt lahi (spelled in English texts “Lei,” though the local inhabitants pronounce it lahi) near Mareshah which has been discussed by Joseph Ginat, who connected a cave in the area with that of 1 Nephi 3.[6] (JAT)… A commonly available etymology for LEHI takes the Semitic vocable לחי lḥy as the HEBREW word for “jaw, cheek bone” in the GN attested in Judges 15:9, 14, 19 (MWJ, JH). The vocable is also found in Arabic *( laḥiy), Ugaritic *(lḥ), and Akkadian *( laḫû).[10] If lḥy meaning “cheek bone” is behind LEHI, this PN could be a shortened form of a name that could mean something like, “(Incline thy) cheek, (O Jehovah).” This would make a suitable personal name for one of God’s prophets, and would be an analogous form to the Neo-Babylonian feminine PN Le-et-ka-i-di-i, which could mean approximately “(O God,) incline thine head,”[11] that is, “(O God,) please pay attention.” The Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies Book of Mormon Onomasticon
The House of Lehi near Jerusalem
“The site [Biet Lehi] was first surveyed in 1899 by the Irish archaeologist R.A.S. Macalister, but was left untouched until 1961 when the Israeli Army, carrying out construction works on a patrol road, that at the time marked the border between Israel and Jordan, accidentally broke through the ceiling of an ancient burial cave. Subsequent investigation revealed a total of two such caves, both dating to the late Iron Age II (ca. 600 BC) – but the landmark discovery was to be the inscription found incised on one of the walls, comprising the earliest known Hebrew inscription mentioning the word “Jerusalem.” This discovery has come to be known as the “Jerusalem Cave,” and the original scholarly article about the findings, written by the late Prof. J. Naveh and published in a 1963 issue of the Israel Exploration Journal…
Dr. Gutfeld has several degrees in archaeology from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem including a Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology. The Gutfeld’s spent three years in Ann Arbor Michigan where Oren taught at the University of Michigan. It was while at the University of Michigan at the The Frankel Center for Judaic Studies that Dr. Gutfeld spent a considerable amount of time researching libraries of documents on ancient Israel. From these years of research, Dr. Gutfeld arrived at the conclusion that Beit Lehi was known as Beit Zedek more than 2000 years earlier…
Dr. Oren Gutfeld, the director of archaeology for the Beit Lehi project near Jerusalem, has been the backbone of the project, along with his team of archaeologists and officials from the Israel Antiquity Authority. Dr. Gutfeld’s more than 30 years of experience in conducting excavations throughout Israel has labeled him among the foremost authorities in archaeology in Israel. A search of the web will produce an abundance of accolades for Dr. Gutfeld… When the Foundation brings guests to Israel to tour the Holy Land and visit Beit Lehi, Dr. Gutfeld is a licensed guide and personally escorts the groups throughout Israel and Jordan. With his background as both a guide and renowned archaeologist he is able to open doors that most visitors are denied entrance. In a visit to Israel by Utah Valley University students and faculty, Dr. Gutfeld secured the rare opportunity for the group to enter the sealed vaults under the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to view the original Dead Sea Scrolls. His knowledge of ancient sites of Israel is remarkable.” biet.org
See Video below.
Lehi means literally “a jawbone”
“The first mention of the name Lehi refers to a place in the tribe of Judah where Samson achieved a victory over the Philistines (Judg. 15:9, 14, 16), slaying a thousand of them with the jawbone of an ass. The words in 15:19, “a hollow place that was in the jaw” (A.V.), should be, as in Revised Version, “the hollow place that is in Lehi.” (Source: Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary )
Lehi was a prophet living in Jerusalem around 600 BC. He is a contemporary of the biblical prophet Jeremiah. Lehi, as well as Jeremiah, both prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed if the people didn’t repent. As a result, his life was threatened.
Book of Mormon Lehi Account
According to the “First Book of Nephi”, Lehi received a revelation that he was to leave with his family to avoid the imminent destruction of Jerusalem around 600 BC. Being obedient, Lehi left with his wife, Sariah, and his sons, Laman, Lemuel, Nephi, and Sam. While in the wilderness, Jacob and Joseph were born. Lehi and his family eventually travelled to America by ship constructed by his son, Nephi.” lds sunday school.org
Samson
“Manoah (Hebrew: מָנ֫וֹחַ Mānoaḥ) is a figure from the Book of Judges 13:1-23 and 14:2-4 of the Hebrew Bible. His name means “rest”. He is the father of the judge Samson.
According to the Bible, Manoah was of the tribe of Dan and lived in the city of Zorah. He married one woman, who was barren. Her name is not mentioned in the Bible, but according to tradition she was called Hazzelelponi or Zelelponith. She was a daughter of Etam and sister of Ishma.
Manoah and his wife were the parents of famous judge Samson. According to Rabbinic tradition, they also had a daughter called Nishyan or Nashyan.” Wikepedia
Story of Beit Lehi
“The story of Beit Lehi may begin as early as 1160 B.C. Manoah and his wife have no children. They travel often to a holy place near their home to make sacrifice and pray for a child. That prayer is answered when an angel appears to his wife and tells her that she will bare a son by God’s providence. Their child, perhaps the strongest man in biblical history, is Samson!
Samson’s impetuous nature causes havoc among the Philistines. He ties torches to the tails of foxes and releases them into the fields of the Philistines destroying all their crops. The Philistines sought revenge by sending an army of one thousand men to capture Samson. With Samson’s consent, the men of Judah bind him with rope and are about to hand him over to the Philistines when Samson breaks free. Using the jawbone of a donkey that lays at his feet, Samson slays the Philistines.
Exhausted and near death from thirst, Samson prays for water. Miraculously, a spring bursts forth from the ground to revive the champion. “And when he drunk, his spirit came again and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore (meaning fountain of the crier), which is in Lehi unto this day.” (Judges 15:19). In The Antiquities of the Jews, the Jewish historian Josephus (1st century A.D.) confirms this biblical account and notes that the spring remained vibrant in his day. Samson remained at Lehi for 20 years as a judge of the people of Israel.
The Hebrew word “Lehi” means jawbone. To many, the place of Lehi was named for the means used by Samson to kill the Philistines, a jawbone. And yet, The Book of Judges states that “the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi (Judges 15:9). From this passage it would appear that the village of “Lehi” existed prior to Samson’s event.
The debate continues as to location of Lehi. But is it mere coincidence that the local Bedouins tell of an ancient place named “Lehi” where an ancient prophet sat in judgment of the people of Isaac & Ishmael? According to renowned archaeologist, Dr. Oren Gutfeld, Beit Lehi is the traditional site of ancient “Lehi.” If true, more than 3100 years later that same spring that gave life to Samson continues to this day at Beit Lehi.” bietlehi.org
Does this Coin found near Jerusalem prove that Samson lived… and that he did fight the Lion?
Clue: Scholars say the scene shown on the artifact recalls the story in Judges of Samson fighting a lion
A tiny seal has been uncovered that could be the first archaeological evidence of Samson, the Biblical slayer of Philistines.
Archaeologists discovered the ancient artifact while excavating the tell of Beit Shemesh in the Judaean Hills near Jerusalem, Israel.
It appears to depict the Old Testament story of Samson, whose might was undone by his lust for the temptress Delilah, and his fight with a lion.
The seal, which measures less than an inch in diameter, shows a large animal with a feline tail attacking a human figure.
The seal was discovered at a level of excavation that dates it to roughly the 11th century BC, when Israelite tribes had moved into the area after Joshua’s conquest of Canaan.
It was a time when the Jews were led by ad hoc leaders known as judges, one of whom was Samson.
The location of the find was close to the River Sorek that marked the boundary between the Israelites and their Philistine foes, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The location also indicates that the figure on the seal could represent Samson, according to Israeli archaeologists Professor Shlomo Bunimovitz and Dr Zvi Lederman.
Beit Shemesh is regularly mentioned in the Old Testament, most notably in chapter 6 of the book of Samuel I – the ruler of Israel immediately after Samson – as being the first city encountered by the ark of the covenant on its way back from Philistia after having been captured by the Philistines in battle.
Find: The ruins of the ancient biblical city in the tell of Beit Shemesh, located near the modern city
Bible stories: Samson discovered his strength by fighting a lion (left). Having been betrayed by Delilah and taken prisoner and blinded by the Philistines, he regains his strength and brings down the Temple of Dagon (right)
Alternatively, it suggests that tales of a hero strong enough to fight a lion circulated at the time of the judges, one that then morphed into the story of Samson.
One of the most compelling characters in the Old Testament, Samson was said to have been given supernatural strength by God to allow him to overcome his enemies
He discovered his strength when he was accosted by a lion on his way to propose to a Philistine woman, killing it with his bare hands.
