AIN

(Aʹin) [spring, natural fountain].

The word literally means an “eye,” but by analogy is used to mean a natural spring or fountain as distinguished from a man-made well or tank, which latter water source is expressed by the terms “Beer” and “Bor.” (Gen. 49:22; Deut. 8:7) It is often written “En-” when used in compounds, as En-rimmon, En-gedi, En-gannim.

1. A place mentioned by Jehovah when setting out the E boundary of Israel to Moses. (Num. 34:11) The “Riblah” mentioned in this text as being “on the east of Ain” evidently does not refer to the Riblah in the land of Hamath considerably to the N of Damascus, inasmuch as Ain is named in relation to the Sea of Chinnereth (or Sea of Galilee). It lay to the N of that sea, but its exact location is uncertain.

2. Originally assigned to the tribe of Judah as one of its southernmost cities (Josh. 15:32), then assigned to the tribe of Simeon when part of Simeon’s allotment was taken out from Judah’s overly large territory. (Josh. 19:1, 7, 9; 1 Chron. 4:24, 32) Ain was near the city of Rimmon, and it appears that when it was resettled following the exile in Babylon the names of the two places were combined as one: En-rimmon. (Neh. 11:29) As such, it is usually identified with Khirbet Umm er-Ramamin, lying about nine miles (14.5 kilometers) N-NE of Beer-sheba.—See EN-RIMMON; RIMMON No. 2.

3. At Joshua 21:16 Ain is listed as one of the cities given to the Levites; however, a comparison of this text with Joshua 15:42; 19:7; and 1 Chronicles 6:59 indicates that the city here referred to is elsewhere called “Ashan.”—See ASHAN.