Cuthah is an ancient city mentioned in the Bible, specifically in the context of the Assyrian Empire's resettlement policies. It is referenced in 2 Kings 17:24, which states: "Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns."

Historical Context

Cuthah was one of the cities from which the Assyrian king imported people to repopulate the region of Samaria after the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered and its inhabitants were exiled. This policy of resettlement was a common Assyrian practice aimed at preventing rebellion by mixing different populations and diluting national identities.

Geographical and Archaeological Insights

Cuthah is identified with the ancient city of Kutha, located in Mesopotamia, near the modern site of Tell Ibrahim in Iraq. It was a significant city in the Babylonian region, known for its temple dedicated to the god Nergal, the deity of the underworld and war. Archaeological excavations have revealed that Cuthah was an important religious and cultural center in ancient Mesopotamia.

Religious and Cultural Significance

The people from Cuthah, along with those from other regions, brought their own religious practices and deities to Samaria. This introduction of foreign gods and customs contributed to the syncretistic religious environment that developed in the region. The Bible records that these settlers did not initially fear the LORD, leading to divine judgment in the form of lions sent among them (2 Kings 17:25). In response, the Assyrian king sent an Israelite priest to teach them how to worship the LORD, resulting in a mixed form of worship that combined the fear of the LORD with the worship of their own gods (2 Kings 17:27-33).

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the account of Cuthah and the other resettled peoples in Samaria highlights the challenges of maintaining covenant faithfulness in the face of cultural and religious pluralism. The syncretism that arose in Samaria serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of compromising true worship with pagan practices. This narrative underscores the importance of adhering to the commandments and worship prescribed by God, as deviation leads to spiritual and moral decline.

Biblical Legacy

The legacy of Cuthah and its people is intertwined with the history of the Samaritans, who emerged as a distinct group with a unique religious identity. The tensions between the Samaritans and the Jews during the time of Jesus can be traced back to these historical and religious developments. The New Testament reflects these tensions, yet also shows Jesus' outreach to the Samaritans, as seen in His encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42), demonstrating the inclusive nature of the Gospel message.One of the Babylonian cities or districts from which Shalmaneser transplanted certain colonists to Samaria (2 Kings 17:24). Some have conjectured that the "Cutheans" were identical with the "Cossaeans" who inhabited the hill-country to the north of the river Choaspes. Cuthah is now identified with Tell Ibrahim, 15 miles north-east of Babylon. CUTH; CUTHAH

kuth, ku'-tha (kuth, kuthah; Choua, Chountha): The longer writing is the better of the two, and gives the Hebrew form of the name of one of the cities from which Sargon of Assyria brought colonists to fill the places of the Israelites which he deported from Samaria in 772 B.C. (2 Kings 17:24, 30). Probably in consequence of their predominating numbers, the inhabitants of Samaria in general were then called kuthiyim, or Cutbeans. 1. The Ruins of Cuthah:

From contract-tablets found at Tel-Ibrahim by the late Hormuzd Hassam, on which the ancient name of the place is given as Gudua or Kutu, it would seem that that is the site which has to be identified with the Biblical Cuthah. It lies to the Northeast of Babylon, and was one of the most important cities of the Babylonian empire. The explorer describes the ruins as being about 3,000 ft. in circumference and 280 ft. high, and adjoining them on the West lies a smaller mound, crowned with a sanctuary dedicated to Ibrahim (Abraham). From the nature of the ruins, Rassam came to the conclusion that the city was much more densely populated after the fall of Babylon than in earlier times. A portion of the ruins were in a very perfect state, and suggested an unfinished building.

2. The Temple:

The great temple of the city was called E-mes-lam, and was dedicated to Nergal (compare 2 Kings 17:30), one of whose names was Meslam-ta-ea. Both city and temple would seem to have been old Sumerian foundations, as the name Gudua and its later Sere form, Kutu, imply.

LITERATURE.

See Rassam, Asshur and the Land of Nimrod, 396, 409, and, for details of the worship of Nergal, PSBA, December, 1906, 203-18.

T. G. Pinches

CUTHAH

See CUTH, CUTHAH.

3575. Kuth -- a city of Assyr.
... NASB Word Usage Cuth (1), Cuthah (1). Cuth. Or (feminine) Kuwthah {koo-thaw'}; of
foreign origin; Cuth or Cuthah, a province of Assyria -- Cuth. ...
/hebrew/3575.htm - 6k

How Shalmaneser Took Samaria by Force and How He Transplanted the ...
... Persia among whom he took king Hoshea alive; and when he had removed these people
out of this their land he transplanted other nations out of Cuthah, a place ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 14 how shalmaneser took.htm

How the Temple was Built While the Cutheans Endeavored in Vain to ...
... pray to him, and are desirous of their religious settlement, and this ever since
Shalmanezer, the king of Assyria, transplanted us out of Cuthah and Media to ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 how the temple.htm

Mongrel Religion
... to what you have to say of this God, of the land; but Succoth-benoth for me; when
I go home I shall offer sacrifice to him." The men of Cuthah said, "Verily ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 27 1881/mongrel religion.htm

The Old Testament and Comparative Religion
... human habitation had its special patron deity; for example, Babylon was the city
of Marduk; Nippur, of Enlil; Ur, of Sin; Sippara, of Shamash; Cuthah, of Nergal ...
/.../eiselen/the christian view of the old testament/chapter v the old testament.htm

In Jud??a and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and ...
... [1882] Suffice it, that one of them, perhaps that which contributed the principal
settlers, Cuthah, furnished the name Cuthim, by which the Jews afterwards ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vii in judaea and.htm

Cuthah (2 Occurrences)
...Cuthah is now identified with Tell Ibrahim, 15 miles north-east of Babylon.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CUTH; CUTHAH. ...
/c/cuthah.htm - 9k

Cuth (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia CUTH; CUTHAH. kuth, ku'-tha (kuth, kuthah;
Choua, Chountha): The longer writing is the better of ...
/c/cuth.htm - 8k

Cutha (1 Occurrence)
... 2 Kings 17:24 The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and
from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of ...
/c/cutha.htm - 7k

Sepharvaim (6 Occurrences)
... The fact that Babylon and Cuthah head the list of cities mentioned is no indication
that Sepharvaim was a Babylonian town-the composition of the list, indeed ...
/s/sepharvaim.htm - 12k

Captivity (141 Occurrences)
... thus removed were carried to distant cities, many of them not far from the Caspian
Sea, and their place was supplied by colonists from Babylon and Cuthah, etc. ...
/c/captivity.htm - 79k

Replace (11 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 17:24 The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and
from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of ...
/r/replace.htm - 10k

Dura (1 Occurrence)
... also Dur-ili, "god's rampart." That it was at some distance is supported by the
list WAI, IV, 36 [38], where Duru, Tutul and Gudua (Cuthah), intervene between ...
/d/dura.htm - 8k

Cuthean
Cuthean. Cuthah, Cuthean. Cuthite . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ...
ku-the'-an, kuth'-it. See CUTH; SAMARITANS. Cuthah, Cuthean. Cuthite . Reference
/c/cuthean.htm - 6k

Chaldeans (82 Occurrences)
... 800) smaller towns which were around them; and there were also Chaldeans (and Arameans)
in Erech, Nippur (Calneh), Kis, Hursag-kalama, Cuthah, and probably ...
/c/chaldeans.htm - 48k

Avva (1 Occurrence)
... 2 Kings 17:24 The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and
from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of ...
/a/avva.htm - 6k

When and how was Israel conquered by the Assyrians? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus