Where was Abel-meholah located in the Bible?

Abel-meholah was an ancient city in the region of Samaria, within the territory of the Israelite tribe of Manasseh. Its location is generally identified with the modern archaeological site of Tell Abu Sus in the Jordan Valley (1 Kings 4:12).

What happened at Abel-meholah in the Bible?

Abel-meholah is most notably the hometown of the prophet Elisha. It was here that the prophet Elijah found Elisha plowing a field and called him to be his successor by throwing his cloak over him (1 Kings 19:16-19).

Why is Abel-meholah significant in the Bible?

Its primary significance is as the place where Elisha was called by God through Elijah, beginning his prophetic ministry. This event marked a major transition of prophetic authority in Israel, as Elisha would go on to perform many miracles.

Abel-meholah

cityOld TestamentSamaria

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Modern Name

Tell Abu Sus

Country

Israel

Region

Samaria

Coordinates

32.3743, 35.5609

Abel-meholah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tell Abu Sus. It appears across 3 verses in Scripture.

Biblical History

Abel-meholah holds a distinguished place in Scripture as the hometown of the prophet Elisha. The city appears first in Judges 7:22, where it is named as the destination toward which Midianite forces fled during Gideon's famous night assault — the rout extended as far as Abel-meholah, indicating its position along a major travel route through the Jordan Valley. The town gains its greatest significance in 1 Kings 19:16, when God commands Elijah to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as his prophetic successor. The subsequent scene in 1 Kings 19:19–21 portrays Elisha plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, suggesting a prosperous agricultural household in the fertile Jordan Valley region. Elijah cast his mantle over Elisha, who immediately slaughtered his oxen, burned his plowing equipment, and followed the older prophet — a decisive break with his former life signaling total commitment to prophetic ministry. Abel-meholah also appears in 1 Kings 4:12 as part of one of Solomon's twelve administrative districts, confirming its place as an established settlement during the monarchic period. The city's role as Elisha's origin point connects it to the most extensive prophetic ministry cycle in the Old Testament.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

The identification of Abel-meholah is debated, but a widely accepted candidate is Tell Abu Sus (also written Tell Abou Sousseh), located in the central Jordan Valley in modern Israel near Kibbutz Hamadia. The tell sits in the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley consistent with the agricultural setting implied by Elisha's plowing scene. Some scholars propose Tel Maqlub or nearby sites east of the Jordan. Archaeological surveys of Tell Abu Sus have documented Iron Age pottery and earlier Bronze Age material, though no comprehensive excavation has been published. The Jordan Valley location fits well with both the Gideon narrative and Elisha's later itinerary, which frequently takes him between the Jordan Valley, Samaria, and northern Israel.

Verse Appearances (3)

Judg

Judg 7:22

1Kgs

1Kgs 4:12 1Kgs 19:16

Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →

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