Ashbea

Ashbea is mentioned in the genealogical records of Judah as a descendant of Shelah, the son of Judah. The reference appears within a listing of craftsmen and clan leaders: "The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea" (1Ch 4:21).

A Name Linked to Fine-Linen Craft

Ashbea is not identified as an individual in this passage so much as the eponymous ancestor of a house of craftsmen who worked fine linen. The phrasing "the house of Ashbea" suggests a guild or clan identity organized around this specialized textile trade, placed within the wider Shelahite lineage of Judah.