ESHTAOL ; Sept. 'AarathX, and 'Ea0a6X), a town of the Shephelah or plain of Philistia. It is connected with Zorah, Zanoah, and Bethshemesh; and we may hence conclude that it was situated close to the foot of the mountains of Judah, and in or near Wady Surfir (Josh. xv. 33 ; xix. 41). It was one of the towns allotted to Dan, though within the bounds of Judah. In the camp of Dan (or Mahaneh-Dan) between Zorah and Eshtaol, Samson began to exhibit the strength and valour which afterwards distinguished him, and there, too, after a brilliant but melancholy career, his mangled remains were buried (Judg. xiii. 25 with xviii. 11 ; xvi. 31). Eshtaol was one of the great strongholds of the Danites, and its inhabitants, with those of Zorah, were noted for their daring. The 600 men who captured and colonized Laish were natives of these two towns (Judg. xviii.) From the way in which Eshtaol is connected in several passages of Scripture with Zorah, and from the topography of the district, which the writer has had an opportunity of carefully examining, there would seem to be a high probability that the site of this ancient town is now occupied by the village of Yeshua or Eshwa, as the natives pronounce it Yeshua lies at the eastern extremity of the broad valley which runs up among the hills be tween Zomh and Bethshemesh. The mountains
rise steep and rugged immediately behind it ; but the village is encompassed by fruitful fields and or chards. Zorah occupies the top of a conical hill, scarcely two miles westward, and a lower ridge connects the hill with the mountains at Yeshua. Upon that ridge the permanent camp, or gathering place of Dan ("between Zorah and Eshtaol,' Judg. xiii. 25) was probably fixed. In the time of Jerome Eshtaol was known as a village close to Zorah (Onornast. s.v. Esthaol and Sarea). A brief, but clear description of this region is given by Robin son (B.R., iii. 153, .q.)—J. L. P.