Elkosh, Elkoshite

ELKOSH, ELKOSHITE ĕl’ kŏsh, īt (אֶלְקֹשִֽׁי). A term used to identify Nahum the prophet (Nah 1:1). It prob. refers to a place, but if so, the place is unknown.

Several possible locations have been proposed: 1. A site in Galilee called Elcesi. Jerome thought this was the site.

2. A site in Mesopotamia N of Mosul near the Tigris River. Nestorius was the first to suggest this site. A so-called “tomb of Nahum” is found at Elqush N of Mosul.

3. A site in S Judah, prob. Beit Jibrin between Jerusalem and Gaza. This supposition has the merit of Nahum’s apparently having been from Judah.

4. The most apparent site, but one doubted by most scholars, is כְּפַר נַחוּם i.e. Capernaum, the village of Nahum. This is the village on the N shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus taught frequently in His earthly ministry.

It must be emphasized that there is no real evidence for any of these sites. Perhaps the site is yet to be discovered, if indeed a geographical site is intended.

Article 2

ELKOSH, ELKOSHITE. Nahum is called the Elkoshite (Nah.1.1; rsv “of Elkosh”). Jerome says that a town in Galilee was shown him as Elkosh. The Nestorians locate the town and the tomb of the prophet near the Tigris, north of Mosul. Another tradition places Elkosh “beyond Jordan,” but emendations of that text and other considerations lead some to believe that Elkosh was in southern Judah.