Bible Locations

Netaim, "plantings," appears in 1 Chronicles 4:23, in the family records of Judah's son Shelah: "They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king." So Netaim was a place where a guild of royal potters lived, probably in the Shephelah of Judah, near Gederah. This fits archaeology, since thousands of jar handles stamped "lmlk," meaning "belonging to the king," have been found in Judah from the time of Hezekiah, made in workshops in the Shephelah. Some translations read "Netaim and Gederah" as "plantations and hedges" rather than place names. Netaim's exact location is unknown. Some scholars suggest Khirbet en-Nuweiti, near Gederah. The verse shows that some families in Judah worked as craftsmen for the king, a detail that gives a glimpse of daily life.