ē´dẽr ( עדר , ‛ēdher , "flock"):
(1) One of the "uttermost cities" of Judah in the Negeb ("South") near the border of Edom (Joshua 15:21 ), possibly Kḣ el ‛Adar , 5 miles South of Gaza, but probably this is too far west. (2) Eder (the King James Version Edar ) or better Migdal Eder, מגדּל־עדר , mighdal ‛ēdher , "the tower of the flock"; Γάδερ , Gáder ̌ . After Rachel died and was buried "in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem) ... Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder" (Genesis 35:19 , Genesis 35:21 ). In Genesis 35:27 he is described as proceeding to Hebron. This "tower of the flock," which may have been only a tower and no town, must therefore be looked for between Bethlehem and Hebron. Jerome says that it was one Roman mile from Bethlehem. In the Septuagint, however, Genesis 35:16 and Genesis 35:21 are transposed, which suggests that there may have been a tradition that Migdal Eder was between Bethel and Bethlehem. There must have been many such towers for guarding flocks against robbers. Compare "tower of the watchman" ( 2 Kings 18:8 , etc.). The phrase "Migdal Eder" occurs in Micah 4:8 where Jerusalem is compared to such a tower.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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