Chephar-ammoni
Chephar-ammoni is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Kafr Ana. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Chephar-ammoni is a settlement in the tribal territory of Benjamin, mentioned once in the Old Testament in Joshua 18:24 as part of the list of towns allotted to the tribe of Benjamin during the division of the land under Joshua. The name appears to mean "village of the Ammonites," suggesting the site may have had historical associations with Ammonite inhabitants before Israelite settlement or possibly had a mixed population. It is grouped with Ophni and Geba in the text, placing it within the broader Benjamin highlands northeast of Jerusalem. While no specific events are recorded at Chephar-ammoni, its inclusion in the tribal boundary list reflects the meticulous administrative care with which the land was apportioned among the twelve tribes, each receiving their God-ordained inheritance. The town would have formed part of the network of Benjaminite settlements that stretched between Jerusalem and Bethel, a region of great strategic importance throughout the monarchic period.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Chephar-ammoni is tentatively identified with Khirbet Kafr Ana, a ruined site in the hill country of Samaria near modern Rantis in the West Bank. Surface surveys have found pottery sherds indicating occupation during the Iron Age, consistent with the period of Israelite settlement. The site sits at a moderate elevation in the central highlands, in terrain typical of the Benjaminite plateau. Due to the limited nature of surface finds and the absence of systematic excavation, definitive identification remains uncertain. The name Kafr Ana preserves a possible echo of the ancient toponym, a linguistic preservation pattern common in Palestinian place-name survival from biblical antiquity into the Arabic tradition.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →