Hammoth-dor

Hammoth-dor (meaning warm springs of Dor) was a Levitical city in the tribal territory of Naphtali, assigned to the Gershonite families of the Levites in Joshua 21:32. It is almost certainly the same location as Hammath (Josh. 19:35) and Hammon (1 Chr. 6:76), reflecting slight textual variations for the same site—the warm springs on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee near what became the city of Tiberias.

The designation as a city of refuge and Levitical city indicates its administrative and religious importance in northern Israel. The hot springs at this location were famous throughout the ancient and classical periods; later known as Emmaus-Nicopolis by Greek and Roman writers, the site became a spa resort in the Herodian era. The hot spring complex at modern Hamat Tverya (Hammat Tiberias) preserves the ancient name and continues to be used, with a significant ancient mosaic synagogue floor discovered there by excavators.