The lot of Asher lay upon the coast of the great sea. We read not of any famous person of this tribe but Anna the prophetess, who was a constant resident in the temple at the time of our Saviour's birth, Luk 2:36. Nor were there many famous places in this tribe. Aphek (mentioned Jos 19:30) was the place near which Benhadad was beaten by Ahad, Kg1 20:30. But close adjoining to this tribe were the celebrated sea-port towns of Tyre and Sidon, which we read so much of. Tyre is called here that strong city (Jos 19:29), but Bishop Patrick thinks it was not the same Tyre that we read of afterwards, for that was built on an island; this old strong city was on the continent. And it is conjectured by some that into these two strong-holds, Sidon and Tzor, or Tyre, many of the people of Canaan fled and took shelter when Joshua invaded them.

Beth-shemesh - The house or temple of the sun; there were several cities or towns of this name in Palestine; an ample proof that the worship of this celestial luminary had generally prevailed in that idolatrous country.

And their border was Helkath,.... Helkath seems to be the same with Hukok, Ch1 6:75; and according to Masius it lay ten or twelve miles above Ptolemais:

and Hali, of which we read nowhere else.

and Beten is by Jerom (h) called Bathne, and was in his time a village by the name of Bethebem, eight miles from Ptolemais to the east. Reland (i) seems to think it might be the Ecbatana of Pliny (k), which he speaks of as near Mount Carmel, and not far from Ptolemais:

and Achshaph was a royal city, whose king was taken by Joshua; see Gill on Jos 11:1.

(h) De loc. Heb. fol. 89. H. (i) Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 2. p. 617. (k) Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19.

OF ASHER. (Jos 19:24-31)

the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher--The western boundary is traced from north to south through the cities mentioned; the site of them, however, is unknown.