Ephrath

Ephrath, Ephrathah and Ephratah are variant spellings of the same Hebrew name (Hebrew: אֶפְרָת \ אֶפְרָתָה) mentioned in the Bible. Ephrath usually refers to the ancient name for Bethlehem in Judah. It originally referred to the region around Bethlehem and was later identified with the town itself. (Genesis 35:19, Micah 5:2). A person from Ephrath is called an Ephrathite (as a geographic tribal designation; 1 Sam 17:12; Ruth 1:2).

It is also the name of Caleb's wife, who bore Hur, an ancestor of Bethlehem's founders. (1 Chronicles 2:19)

The name comes from the Hebrew root פָּרָה (parah) and means to be fruitful, to bear fruit, to increase.

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