Joshua 19:18-21

‘ And their border was to Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, and Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath, and Rabbith, and Kishion, and Ebez, and Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah and Beth-pazzez.'

Issachar's borders appear to have been fluid and its area mainly delineated by cities. This ties in with their close relationship with Zebulun and the fact that some of their area was allocated to Manasseh (Joshua 17:11). Their area was to the south east of Zebulun and the south of Naphtali, in the south east of the Great Plain of Jezreel/Esdraelon. Esdraelon is the Greek for Jezreel and the latter name is often applied to the whole of the Great Plain, but they are also often seen as two sections of the Plain. Manasseh were to the south. Possibly the writer saw Issachar's borders as sufficiently delineated elsewhere. Settling in the plains was made difficult by the prevalence of Canaanite cities and Issachar would therefore first settle in cleared forest land and the mountains. Whether some gave themselves up to forced labour in return for the comforts of Canaanite civilisation, like their ancestor (see Genesis 49:14), we do not know.

Jezreel (Hebrew Yizra'el - ‘God sows') was at the east end of the Jezreel Plain ninety kilometres north of Jerusalem, and is identified with Zer'in. It was not a fortified site until the time of Ahab, when it was his chariot centre. Parts of Israelite buildings have been found. It was by its spring that Israel gathered before engaging the Philistines at Gilboa where Saul and Jonathan died (1 Samuel 29:1; 1 Samuel 31:1). Chesulloth was in the Plain, west of Tabor. Whether it was different from Chisloth-tabor (Joshua 19:12) is open to question. If the same it was clearly a joint city on the border. Shunem is possibly modern Solem, five to six kilometres (three and a half miles) north of Jezreel. It was where the Philistines camped before they moved on to Aphek prior to the battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:4), and where Elisha often found shelter (2 Kings 4:8) and raised a dead child (2 Kings 4:34). It was possibly the place named in the Egyptian lists of Thothmes III (about 1550 BC) and of Shishak (about 950 BC) as Shanema.

“And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath, and Rabbith, and Kishion, and Ebez.” Hapharaim is also found in Shishak's list as Hapurama. Khirbet Farriyeh, nine kilometres (five to six miles) north west of el-Lejjun has been suggested. Shion is perhaps ‘Ayun esh-Sha‘in, five kilometres (three miles) north west of Tabor. Anaharith is possibly the 'Anuhertu of Thothmes list. ‘Arraneh, four kilometres (two and a half miles) north east of modern Jenin has been suggested as a possible site. Rabbith could be Raba, eleven kilometres (seven miles) south east of Janin (En-gannim? - Joshua 19:21). Kishion (see Joshua 21:28) and Ebez are unknown.

“And Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah and Beth-pazzez.” Remeth (rmth) is possibly the Jarmuth (yrmth) of Joshua 21:29 and the Ramoth (rmth) of 1 Chronicles 6:73. The Egyptians called the area ‘the hills of Yarmuta', the elevated region north west of Beth-shean. A stele of Seti I (about 1300 BC) stated that various ‘Apiru tribes were settled there and had been subjected to Egypt. But these were not necessarily Israel (compare the ‘Apiru at Shechem - Joshua 8:30). En-gannim (‘spring of gardens') is possibly modern Jenin where there is still a plentiful spring. See for it Joshua 21:29 and 1 Chronicles 6:73 where it is abbreviated as Anem. (Other possible identifications are Olam or Khirbet Beit Jann). En-haddah and Beth-pazzez are unidentified but probably close by. The whole area was very fruitful.