Succoth on the Jordan (סֻכּוֹת, sukkoth). A city east of the Jordan River, in the plain north of the Jabbok River (known today as the Zarqa River) and about one mile from it. On his return from Paddan-aram after his encounter with Esau, Jacob (Gen 32:17, 30; 33:17) built a house for himself here and made booths (skwt) for his livestock.

The book of Joshua identifies Succoth as part of the territory belonging to Sihon, king of Heshbon. This was during the time of the Israelite conquest, when it was assigned to the tribe of Dan (Josh 13:27). However, the biblical text suggests that even some centuries later, the city remained in non-Israelite hands. According to Judges 8:5–17, when Gideon was waging war against the Midianites, he asked the inhabitants of Succoth for provisions for his army. But they and the residents of Penuel refused Gideon’s petition, perhaps because they were not sure about the outcome of the war. The narrative describes Gideon punishing the leaders of Succoth and Penuel (Judg 8:18–21). In Malamat’s view, Gideon’s actions suggest that Succoth and Penuel might have been his vassals (Malamat, “Punishment,” 70).

Succoth is mentioned in the historical books of Kings and Chronicles in relationship to the building of Solomon’s temple. It was between Succoth and Zarethan that Hiram found proper clay ground to cast all the burnished bronze vessels and utensils for the temple (1 Kgs 7:46; 2 Chr 4:17). In Psalms there are two references to the Valley of Succoth as a desirable land for apportionment among the righteous (Pss 60:6; 108:7). The psalmist mentions the Valley of Succoth in Psalms in order “to substantiate claims of ownership east of the Jordan” (MacDonald, East of the Jordan, 143).