Bor-ashan
Bor-ashan is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Asan. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Bor-ashan appears in a single passage in the Old Testament, in the account of David distributing spoil from his raid against the Amalekites to the cities of Judah that had supported him during his years as a fugitive from Saul (1 Samuel 30:30). The list of towns that received a portion of David's gifts reads as a map of his political network in the southern highlands, demonstrating how he cultivated loyalty among Judahite communities during his years at Ziklag. The name Bor-ashan may be related to Ashan, a Levitical city in the Negev mentioned in Joshua 15:42 and 19:7, suggesting they may refer to the same settlement under variant names. As a recipient of David's generosity, Bor-ashan participated symbolically in the victory over Israel's enemies and in the emerging political consolidation that would lead to David's kingship over all Israel. The episode illustrates how David's years of wilderness experience shaped the alliances and loyalties that made his eventual reign possible.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Bor-ashan is most commonly identified with Khirbet Asan, located in the Shephelah region of southwestern Judea in the vicinity of modern Beersheba. The prefix Bor, meaning pit or well, in the name may indicate a settlement defined by a notable water source, a critical feature in the semi-arid Negev fringe. The site of Khirbet Asan has been surveyed but not extensively excavated. Regional surveys in the area have revealed Iron Age pottery consistent with Judahite settlement during the period of David's activity in the south. The site's location in the foothills would have made it a natural support base for the type of military and pastoral operations attributed to David in 1 Samuel.
Verse Appearances (1)
1Sam
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
- Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Lawrence, D. et al. (2025) Villages to Empires: a settlement dataset for the Southern Levant. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]