The city of Dothan is mentioned several times in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. While not a major city, Dothan has an important symbolic and spiritual significance in Scripture.
Dothan first appears in Genesis 37, when Joseph travels there looking for his brothers who were tending their father’s flocks. The brothers see Joseph coming and plot to kill him, throwing him into a pit before deciding to sell him into slavery in Egypt instead. This betrayal by Joseph’s brothers occurs just outside of Dothan, setting into motion Joseph’s journey to Egypt that would eventually lead to the salvation of his family during the famine. So Dothan marks a pivotal turning point in the story of Joseph.
Later, in 2 Kings 6, the prophet Elisha journeys to Dothan at a time when the king of Aram was at war with Israel. The king sends horses and chariots to surround the city and capture Elisha. When Elisha’s servant sees the army and fears they will be captured or killed, Elisha prays that his servant’s eyes would be opened. At that moment, the servant sees the hills surrounding Dothan filled with horses and chariots of fire protecting them – the heavenly army of God. Elisha then prays for the army to be struck with blindness, allowing him to lead them to Samaria where the blindness is lifted. This powerful story illustrates God’s protection over His people and the unseen spiritual forces at work around us.
The name Dothan comes from a Hebrew word meaning “two wells.” Some believe this refers to important wells dug there by Abraham and Isaac in the land that would later become the inheritance of Jacob’s son Joseph. The imagery of water and wells evokes themes of God’s provision and spiritual nourishment that He supplies to His people. Situated on the main route between Egypt and Mesopotamia, Dothan was seen as an important oasis and strategic place on the major trade route.
In the New Testament, Dothan is possibly referenced in John 4 when Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Some scholars believe this well near Sychar is the same ancient well of Jacob mentioned in Genesis as being near Dothan. If so, it shows the continuity of God’s provision through the patriarch Jacob to the woman meeting the Messiah at that same well centuries later. The Living Water Jesus offered continued the symbolic supply from Jacob’s well.
Today, the modern town of Dothan still exists in northern Israel, not too far from the ancient site. Archaeological remains at Tel Dothan include cisterns, wells, tombs and ruins that attest to its long history in the Holy Land. Excavations have uncovered valuable artifacts from various periods, including Canaanite, Israelite, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenistic and Roman occupations. Of note are some figurines and altars relating to pagan gods worshipped there before the biblical era.
Dothan shows up at pivotal junctures in Scripture, from the betrayal of Joseph to the capture of Elisha. God used this small town powerfully in the larger biblical narrative. Its wells evoke important spiritual themes of God’s generous supply and the Living Water only Christ provides. The ruins of Dothan continue to be excavated, shedding light on the civilizations that occupied this strategic oasis location. For the informed Bible reader, the ruins at Dothan can spur the imagination back to the significant biblical events that occurred there.
In summary, here are some key points about the biblical significance of Dothan:
- Location of Joseph’s betrayal and sale into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37)
- Elisha surrounded by the Aramean army there, protected by God’s heavenly host (2 Kings 6)
- Name means “two wells,” referring to wells dug by patriarchs Abraham and Isaac
- Part of the main trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia – an important oasis site
- Possibly the location of Jacob’s well where Jesus met the Samaritan woman (John 4)
- Archaeological remains attest to its long history in the Promised Land
Dothan serves as a minor but meaningful backdrop to God’s larger biblical narrative. The town’s wells point to God supplying the spiritual water that truly satisfies. And its ruins help bring biblical history to life, reminding us of God’s faithfulness across the centuries. For a small, obscure town, Dothan has an outsized significance in Scripture.
Around 1900 BC, the patriarch Abraham spent time near Dothan after rescuing his nephew Lot who had been taken captive. Abraham and his men attacked and pursued Lot’s captors past Dothan to Dan, freeing him (Genesis 14:13-16). This story shows Abraham’s bravery and military prowess in defending his family.
About 50 years later, Abraham’s son Isaac relocated to the valley of Gerar near Dothan to escape a famine. He would have relied on the wells in this region during this difficult time. But conflicts arose with the Philistines over rights to the water sources there (Genesis 26:17-22). Access to wells was vital for survival, which led to disputes when resources were scarce.
Dothan’s fertile grazing lands were likely what attracted Jacob’s sons to pasture their flocks there many generations later. But the lack of natural defenses around the town made it vulnerable to bandits and foreign armies traveling the main highway nearby. Elisha was bold to stay within Dothan’s walls given the military conflicts of his day.
During the New Testament era, Dothan was part of the Roman province of Judea. The apostle Philip possibly preached in the region, as church tradition holds he was martyred in nearby Hierapolis. Jesus and His disciples likely traveled near Dothan as they walked between Judea and Galilee on various occasions.
Today, modern highways closely follow the ancient trade routes near Dothan, continuing to connect Egypt and the Mediterranean coast to inland areas. The terrain around Dothan remains hilly with many springs and wells. Agriculture is still a mainstay of the local economy, taking advantage of the valley’s fertile soils.
While Dothan was overshadowed by larger metropolitan areas in biblical times, archaeologists have found remnants of a sizable community inhabited there during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Artifacts unearthed relate to cultic practices and gods such as Baal, Asherah, Ammonite, and Ishtar. Idols and figurines indicate pagan influences. Luxury items discovered attest to Dothan’s affluence.
Of architectural note are the remains of a podium temple from the Late Bronze period, as well as a six-chambered gate complex with stone foundations preserved. Tombs, bronze weaponry, Cypro-Phoenician pottery, scarabs, and jewelry have also been excavated. Scholars date the town’s apex to the time of King Solomon around 1000-950 BC before its decline.
Dothan has been identified as the site of ancient Dothaymah mentioned in Ebla tablets from 2400 BC and other extra-biblical sources. It guarded the junction of the Via Maris maritime road and the route to Mesopotamia. Its strategic location brought trade and prestige.
The rise of the Israelite kingdom under David and Solomon gave Dothan regional importance once again. But the town was later destroyed by the Assyrian king Sennacherib around 700 BC. It continued to be occupied into the Christian era when mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus before being abandoned.
Today, the tell or ruin mound of Dothan sits about 19 miles north of Shechem near a vital mountain pass. Excavations began in 1953 under archaeologist Joseph Free of Wheaton College and continue periodically. Partnerships with Master’s University have uncovered artifacts now displayed in the local museum.
Scholars believe Dothan was originally settled around 2400 BC before being absorbed into Israel around 1400 BC. Despite its small size, it held strategic value due to the trade, military, and highway access intersecting there. Dothan’s prominence in key biblical events outweighs its modest remains today.
The story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers is tragic, but served God’s greater plan: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20). We see God’s redemptive nature even in Dothan’s dark moment.
Elisha’s confidence in God’s heavenly armies surrounding Dothan should inspire us similarly to trust in God’s supernatural protection and provision. When our eyes are opened to spiritual realities, there is no need to fear any earthly foe.
Dothan’s wells connect it to crucial themes in Scripture – from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob digging wells as acts of faith and provision, to Jesus offering the Samaritan woman life-giving water that never runs out. As an oasis town, Dothan drew communities to settle and thrive through sufficient water.
Even today, access to clean water divides the prosperous from the poor. We must not take for granted the living water we have been given by Christ that alone satisfies the soul’s deepest thirst. As beneficiaries of this spiritual supply, we are called to carry God’s refreshing water to a dry and weary world hungry for the gospel.
While easy to overlook this little-known town, Dothan has great symbolic significance threaded throughout Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, themes of God’s redemption, protection, and spiritual provision emerge. For the Bible student, locating seemingly minor places on the map leads to discovering deeper meanings that enrich our understanding of God and His unfolding story of salvation.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Jonah was from a town called Gath-hepher located just a few miles north of Dothan (2 Kings 14:25). Gath-hepher was also the home of the prophet Elisha, who stayed in Dothan during the events described in 2 Kings 6.
Having two prophets living near Dothan shows the spiritual potency of this region. Clearly, Dothan was more than just a remote agricultural village. The Lord raised up prophetic voices in and around Dothan to speak His message.
Jonah’s tomb is traditionally believed to be located in a village near Dothan called Mashhad. Its existence points to Dothan’s proximity to Jonah’s origins. Legend holds that the whale spit Jonah out onto the hill where his tomb now stands, overlooking Dothan in the distance.
While the Book of Jonah never mentions Dothan directly, the town likely influenced Jonah’s upbringing years before his dramatic trip to Nineveh. The lush agricultural character of this area, known as the Jezreel or Megiddo valley, may have shaped Jonah’s perspective.
Growing up with prophets nearby and ample rains for crops, Jonah possibly took God’s blessings for granted. When God called him east to the more arid Assyrian region, he resisted. But God drew lessons for Jonah through the withering gourd plant and worm to prompt perspective change.
Could Dothan and Gath-hepher’s regional prosperity have impacted the attitudes of these prophets? We can only speculate. But often our surrounding environments color our worldview, requiring God’s intervention to expand our vision. Dothan’s verdant hills represented just a fraction of God’s kingdom.
Beyond its geography, Dothan also sat on a key trade route between nations. Caravans streaming through exposed Jonah and Elisha to diverse cultures beyond Israel’s borders. A more cosmopolitan, sophisticated outlook likely developed from their upbringing between places like Shechem, Samaria and Jerusalem.
In contrast, the prophet Amos came from rural Tekoa in the southern kingdom of Judah. His agricultural life herding sheep and working with fig trees gave him a different lens (Amos 1:1; 7:14-15). Amos focused more on social justice, while Jonah and Elisha engaged international geo-political events.
Could Dothan’s intermediate setting between towns and empires have encouraged wider concerns? Possibly its mix of local farming and global commerce molded its prophets’ broader approach. Biblical history allows us to imagine how a town’s location and resources may shape those God calls from there.
Beyond prophets, Dothan also seems to have raised its share of scoundrels. Genesis 37 notes that a man who found Joseph wandering near Dothan was from there. And Dothan was the home of two crooked witnesses who falsely accused Naboth in Jezreel of blasphemy at the behest of wicked Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 21:1-16).
While producing two prophets, Dothan apparently also exported some shady characters. Its positioning as a trade hub brought travelers of all kinds – both reputable and disreputable. Not surprisingly, where business interests and money converge, temptation follows.
This potential dark side of Dothan reminds us that not all who came from there were godly. As a highway town linking Egypt and Assyria, the Two Ways of wisdom and folly intersected there. People faced daily decisions between right and wrong.
Given these contrasts, Dothan was not some idyllic “holy land” location separate from the fallen world. It faced the same mixture of virtue and vice as any community. Biblically, the lines between righteous and wicked divide not between towns, but within people’s hearts.
This brief survey shows how a place like Dothan developed a complex spiritual character over centuries. The deeds of key figures gave the town meaning. While not Jerusalem or even Shechem in importance, Dothan still wove into God’s biblical tapestry in intriguing ways.
Even this small sampling of Dothan’s influence reveals our limited vision. God worked through and around this town – through faithful prophets and even wayward witnesses – to accomplish His purposes. We only glimpse fragments of how Dothan and its residents shaped biblical history.
The full impact of Dothan during Bible times may remain mostly hidden. But God weaves even the smallest strands into His grand design. As Scottish pastor George Matheson wrote, “The will of God is like the sea – you cannot see to the end of it.” For now, Dothan provides glimpses of God’s overflowing providence.