Genesis 35:19

Ephrath(the same is Beth-lehem)] The words, "the same is Beth-lehem," create a difficulty; they occur also in Genesis 48:7, and seem to be confirmed by Ruth 4:11; Micah 5:2, "Bethlehem Ephrathah," where the reference is to Bethlehem, S. of Jerusalem. But (1) judging from the present passage we should suppose that Rachel's tomb was a little south of Bethel: (2) from Jeremiah 31:15 it would appear that Rachel's death and burial were connected with Ramah, a place 5 miles north of Jerusalem: (3) from 1 Samuel 10:2 we learn that Rachel's sepulchre is in the border of Benjamin, i.e. north of Jerusalem. There is clearly, therefore, a discrepancy. Perhaps two traditions were current respecting the sepulchre; one placing it near Ramah, on the borders of Benjamin, south of Bethel; the other placing it near Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. The words, "the same is Beth-lehem," look like a gloss, erroneously inserted into the text. "Ephrath," by itself, was not an uncommon name. In all probability, if the words are an erroneous gloss, they are responsible for the Biblical discrepancy, and are accountable for the Christian tradition of Rachel's tomb N. of Bethlehem.