A city in the north of Canaan, the residence of Sisera, Jg 4:2; Jg 13; 16. The missionary Thompson finds its ruins at a place still called Harothieh, the Arabic equivalent for Harosheth, on a hill commanding the entrance to the narrow passage of the Kishon from the plain of Esdraelon to the plain of Acre.

(Jg 4:2) or nations, a city near Hazor in Galilee of the Gentiles, or Upper Galilee, in the north of Palestine. It was here that Jabin's great army was marshalled before it went forth into the great battlefield of Esdraelon to encounter the army of Israel, by which it was routed and put to flight (Jg 4). It was situated "at the entrance of the pass to Esdraelon from the plain of Acre" at the base of Carmel. The name in the Hebrew is Harosheth ha Gojim, i.e., "the smithy of the nations;" probably, as is supposed, so called because here Jabin's iron war-chariots, armed with scythes, were made. It is identified with el-Harithiyeh.

So called from the mixed races that inhabited it. A city in Naphtali W. of the lake Merom (El Huleh), from which the Jordan passes in an undivided stream. Sisera, captain of Jabin II king of Canaan, resided there (Jg 4:2). Jabin's own residence and seat of government was Hazor, N.W. of Harosheth. To Harosheth Barak pursued Jabin's routed army. Joshua (Jos 11:6,10) had 150 years before routed the confederate kings of northern Canaan, headed by Jabin I, at the waters of Merom, the first occasion of Israel's having to encounter "chariots and horses." Joshua "houghed (hamstrung) their horses and burned their chariots with fire" in firm faith and obedience to God's prohibition against their fighting the foe with his own weapon (De 17:16).

Unbelieving fear subsequently altered Israel's policy, so that they shrank from battling with the enemy's chariots in plains such as the Jordan valley, beside which Harosheth stood (Jos 17:16-18; Jg 1:19), and at last adopted chariots in their armies under the kings: 2Sa 8:4, David; 2Sa 15:1, Absalom; 1Ki 1:5, Adonijah; 1Ki 4:26, Solomon. Hazor was rebuilt in the interval between Jabin I and Jabin II; the latter of whom was the first who threw off Israel's yoke and oppressed Israel in turn (for their previous oppressors, the kings of Mesopotamia and Moab, Chushan Rishathaim and Eglon, were outside not within the promised land, as Jabin II). After the defeat by Barak, Hazor and Harosheth and northern Canaan remained permanently in Israel's hand.

HAROSHETH OF THE GENTILES, a city supposed to be situated near Hazor, in the northern parts of Canaan, called afterward Upper Galilee, or Galilee of the Gentiles, for the same reason that this place probably obtained that title, namely, from being less inhabited by Jews, and being near the great resorts of the Gentiles, Tyre and Sidon. This is said to have been the residence of Sisera, the general of the armies of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned at Hazor.