Bible Dictionaries
Bashan

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Fat, fruitful, Numbers 21:33 , a rich hilly district lying east of the Jordan, and between the mountains of Hermon on the north, and those of Gilead and Ammon on the south. The country takes its name from its soft and sandy soil. It is celebrated in Scripture for its rich pasturage: "Rams, of the breed of Bashan," Deuteronomy 32:14; "Rams, bulls, goats, all of them fatlings of Bashan," Ezekiel 39:18 . The oaks of Bashan are mentioned in connection with the cedars of Lebanon, Isaiah 2:13 . Modern travelers describe the country as still abounding with verdant and fertile meadows, valleys traversed by refreshing streams, hills crowned with forests, and pastures offering an abundance to the flocks that wander through them. In the time of Joshua, Argob, one of its chief districts, contained sixty walled towns, Deuteronomy 4:43 Joshua 20:8 21:27 . Bashan was assigned, after the conquest of Og and his people, Joshua 12:4 , to the half tribe of Manasseh. David drew supplies from this region, 1 Kings 4:13 . It was conquered by Hazael, but Joash recovered it, 2 Kings 10:33 13:25 . From Bashan came the Greek name Batanaea, in modern Arabic El-Bottein. But this latter only included its southern part. The ancient Bashan covered the Roman provinces named Gaulonitis, trachonitis, Auranitis, Batanaea, and Ituraea.

Bibliography Information
Rand, W. W. Entry for 'Bashan'. American Tract Society Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​ats/​b/bashan.html. 1859.