ATAROTH ăt’ ə rŏth (עֲטָרֹ֤ות, crowns, wreaths). 1. One of the towns built by the children of Gad in the Trans-Jordan (Num 32:3, 34) along with Dibon and Aroer. It is mentioned by King Mesha on his Moabite Stone (LL-10-14) as being the city where “the men of God had always dwelt.” It apparently was built and used by Israel, prior to Mesha’s capture, as a border fortress against Moab. Mesha claims to have brought back from Ataroth the “altar of David” (?) which he “dragged before Chemosh at Keriyoth.” The site is usually identified with Khirbet ’Aṭṭarus, eight m. NW of Dibon.

2. A NE border town of Ephraim in the Jordan Valley (Josh 16:7). It is variously identified with modern Tell Sheikh edh-Dhiâb by Grollenburg or Tell el Mazar by N. Glueck.

3. An Ephraimite town (Josh 16:2); possibly the same as Ataroth-addar (16:5; 18:13).

4. “Ataroth, the house of Joab” (1 Chron 2:54) may all be a proper name, Ataroth beth Joab, or tr. as the “crowns” (chiefs) of the house of Joab “and referring to the two sons of Salma.”

Bibliography Y. Kaufmann, The Conquest of Palestine (1953), 28-33; W. Thomas (ed), Documents from OT Times (1958), 195-198.