{
  "id": "dict_003414",
  "term": "Maarath",
  "slug": "maarath",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Maarath is a biblical town in the territory of Judah listed among the towns of the hill country in Joshua 15.",
  "simple_one_line": "A town in Judah mentioned in the Old Testament town list.",
  "tooltip_text": "A place-name in Judah; not a theological concept.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Judah",
    "Joshua",
    "Towns of Judah",
    "Biblical geography"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Hill country of Judah",
    "Biblical place names",
    "Inheritance of Judah"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Maarath is a biblical place-name, not a doctrinal term. It appears in the Old Testament list of towns in Judah.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Maarath was a town in the territory of Judah mentioned in Joshua 15.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Place-name in Judah",
    "Appears in a territorial list",
    "No extended biblical narrative is given",
    "Exact modern location is uncertain"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Maarath is a biblical place-name listed among the towns of Judah in Joshua 15. Scripture does not provide additional narrative or theological development about it.",
  "description_academic_full": "Maarath is a town-name associated with the inheritance of Judah in Joshua 15. It appears in a list of settlements in the hill country of Judah, but the biblical text provides no further narrative about the town, its people, or its later history. Because the entry is a geographic proper noun rather than a theological concept, it should be classified as a biblical place-name. Its exact modern identification remains uncertain.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Maarath is mentioned only in the Judah town list in Joshua 15, where it functions as one of several settlements included in the territorial allotment.",
  "background_historical_context": "Outside the brief Old Testament reference, there is no developed historical record in Scripture for Maarath. The town is best understood as part of the settlement pattern of Judah in the conquest/allotment period.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Israelite geography, town lists often served to mark covenant inheritance and tribal settlement. Maarath appears in that administrative and territorial context, without further explanation.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Joshua 15:59"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "None confidently attested beyond the Joshua town list."
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The name is preserved as a Hebrew place-name transliterated into English as Maarath. No additional linguistic detail is necessary for a basic dictionary entry.",
  "theological_significance": "Maarath has no direct doctrinal teaching of its own. Its significance is mainly geographical and canonical: it is one of the named towns included in Judah’s inheritance.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "This entry illustrates how Scripture often grounds theology in real places and historical settlement, even when the place itself is not developed narratively.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not overstate Maarath’s significance. The text identifies it as a town in Judah, but gives no details about its exact location or later role.",
  "major_views_note": "There are no major theological views to reconcile. The main issue is identification of the place, which is limited by the brevity of the biblical reference.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Maarath should not be treated as a doctrinal term, symbol, or allegory. It is a biblical place-name and should be read in its plain historical sense.",
  "practical_significance": "Maarath reminds readers that biblical revelation includes concrete geography and real historical settings, even when the place itself is only briefly mentioned.",
  "meta_description": "Maarath is a biblical town in Judah listed in Joshua 15. This entry explains the place-name and its limited biblical context.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/maarath/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/maarath.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}