יהושע, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ב׳

Tracing the border of the tribal inheritances reveals interesting geographical details about the area around Bethel and Luz. While often associated with one another, these were actually two distinct, neighboring cities [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Furthermore, the location referred to here as Bethel is not the exact spot that the patriarch Jacob famously gave that name, as Jacob's location was actually within the city of Luz itself. Instead, the boundary line extended outward from Bethel toward Luz [רד״ק].

The specific path of this border was dictated by the local landscape. Luz was situated to the south of Bethel, right along the edge of the territory belonging to the tribe of Benjamin [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. However, the city of Luz itself was officially part of Joseph's inheritance [מלבי״ם]. Because Luz did not sit directly opposite the mountain of Bethel but was instead tucked further south, the boundary line had to jut outward to reach it. After arriving at Luz, the border then continued forward in a direct, straight line [מלבי״ם].

As the boundary stretched onward, it reached the region of Archi Ataroth. The exact meaning of this name is a matter of discussion. One approach suggests that the first part of the name refers to a specific local family [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective understands the word as being rooted in the Hebrew term for length. According to this view, it describes the longitudinal border running along the northern edge of Benjamin's territory near Ataroth Addar. Adding this descriptive word served a practical purpose by clearly distinguishing this specific Ataroth from a completely different city with the same name, which was located on the eastern latitudinal border of Joseph's land [מלבי״ם].