ASHTEROTH-KARNAIM ăsh’ tə rŏth kär nä'-əm (עַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת קַרְנַ֔יִם; LXX ̓Ασταρωθ καρναιν; Asteroth near Karnaim). A city inhabited by the Rephaim, located on the King’s Highway and sacked by four kings under the leadership of Chedorlaomer in Abraham’s time. It is mentioned only once (Gen 14:5). Some have taken the name as meaning “Astarte of the two horns” finding support for this interpretation in art work from Gezer and Beth-shan which depicts a female goddess with two horns. It seems much more probable, however, that the name refers to the city of Ashtaroth (q.v.) and was so designated because of its proximity to the city of Karnaim.

Karnaim was located some twenty-three m. E of the Sea of Galilee. Karnaim does not occur as a separate designation in the Bible. It is mentioned, however, in 1 Maccabees 5:26 where it is said to be a “strong and great city.” Also, 2 Maccabees 12:21ff. indicates that it was a fortified town, difficult to besiege because of the narrowness of the surrounding valleys. Judas Maccabeus succeeded in taking the town by assault, however, destroying its temple of Atargatis and slaying twenty-five thousand persons.

By Abraham’s time Ashtaroth evidently began to be overshadowed by Karnaim and under Aramean and Assyrian rule Karnaim inherited the place of Ashtaroth as regional capital.

Bibliography F. M. Abel, Géographie de la Palestine, II (1938), 255; D. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1957), 221, 226; Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible (1962), passim.