Joshua 15:20-63

Cities of Judah Joshua 15:20-63

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.
21 And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
22 And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,
23 And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,
24 Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,
25 And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,
26 Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,
27 And Hazar-gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-palet,
28 And Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba, and Bizjothjah,
29 Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,
30 And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,
31 And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,
32 And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages:
32 And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
34 And Zanoah, and En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam,
35 Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,
36 And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:
37 Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-gad,
38 And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,
39 Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
40 And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,
41 And Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:
42 Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
43 And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,
44 And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
45 Ekron, with her towns and her villages:
46 From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:
47 Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the Great Sea, and the border thereof:
48 And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
49 And Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah, which is Debir,
50 And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,
51 And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:
52 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,
53 And Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,
54 And Humtah, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:
55 Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
56 And Jezreel, and Joddeam and Zanoah,
57 Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
58 Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,
59 And Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:
60 Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:
61 In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
62 And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages.
63 As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

12.

How are the towns of Judah listed? Joshua 15:21-63

The towns contained in the land of Judah were listed in four different districts. The land was naturally divided according to the richness of the soil with the southland or Negeb listed first. Following these towns were the towns in the lowland, or Shephelah, on the Mediterranean sea-coast. The third listing was of the cities in the hill country or mountain area. Last of all, a list of the cities in the barren land of Judah was given. Much of the land between Hebron and the Dead Sea was barren as was the land east of Jerusalem.

13.

How many towns were in the Negeb? Joshua 15:21-32

The total is given in Joshua 15:32. Here it is said that there were twenty-nine cities in all. It is also said that there were some villages with these cities. By counting the total number of proper names, we arrive at the number thirty-seven. There were evidently twenty-nine important cities and some rather unimportant villages. All of these were grouped according to their general location. The first group was one of nine places (Joshua 15:21-23). The second group (Joshua 15:24-25) was a list of six places. The third group (Joshua 15:26-28) was one of nine towns. The last group (Joshua 15:29-32) was one of thirteen towns in the western portion of the Negeb.

14.

How many towns were in the Shephelah? Joshua 15:33-47

Some fifty towns were in the hilly region or slopes on the western side of the territory of Judah. Fourteen of these towns were in the northern part of this area, while sixteen towns were listed in the actual plain in its full extent from north to south. The third group of towns, all in the southern half of the hilly region, comprised a total of nine towns. The fourth group, with eleven points mentioned, was a section later given to the tribe of Dan.

15.

How many towns were in the mountains? Joshua 15:48-60

The towns in the mountains were divided into six different groups. The mountains in Judah rise sharply from the southern area and reach some three thousand feet above sea level in the area around Hebron. This mountainous region then runs north to a broad valley just north of Jerusalem. The range is one of limestone mountains with some jagged peaks, but the sides are often covered with vegetation. The whole area is crisscrossed by many fertile valleys. Likely these towns were located in these valleys, but the whole area was thickly dotted by the towns.

16.

How many towns were in the wilderness? Joshua 15:61-62

Only six cities and their villages were in the land sometimes called the Desert of Judah. This area ran along the Dead Sea from the northern border of Judah to Wady Fikreh on the south. For the most part, this area was uninhabited, but these six cities were located there, En-gedi is the best known of the six. A perennial spring supplies an ample abundance of water and even today the area is a welcome oasis in an otherwise extremely barren territory.

17.

What was the status of Jerusalem? Joshua 15:63

Adoni-zedek, the king of the Jebusites, had been killed by Joshua. His city had been pillaged and sacked, but the Israelites had not inhabited it. As a result, the Jebusites had come back to live there. The children of Judah left them alone, and they dwelt for a long time in the midst of Israel. Technically, the city was in the territory given to the people of the tribe of Benjamin; but David captured it and established his capital there (2 Samuel 5:6-10).