Cun
Cun is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Lebanon. Known today as Ras Baalbek. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Cun is an ancient city mentioned once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 18:8. The passage records David's victory over Hadadezer king of Zobah and states that David took very great quantities of bronze from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer. This bronze was later used by Solomon to make the bronze sea, the pillars, and the bronze vessels for the temple (1 Chronicles 18:8). The parallel account in 2 Samuel 8:8 gives the city name as Berothai rather than Cun, suggesting the two names may refer to the same location or that a textual variant is present. Cun's significance in the biblical narrative lies entirely in this moment: it was from this Aramaean city that David gathered raw materials that would adorn the great temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. The bronze objects crafted from this material — especially the Sea of cast metal resting on twelve bronze bulls (1 Kings 7:23-26) — became central furnishings of Solomon's temple and enduring symbols of Israel's worship.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Cun is tentatively identified with Ras Baalbek, a site in the northern Bekaa Valley of modern Lebanon, near the headwaters of the Orontes River. The region was part of the Aramaean kingdom of Zobah that David subdued in the tenth century BC. The Bekaa Valley was known in antiquity for its agricultural productivity and as a corridor for trade and military movement between Syria and Phoenicia. Limited archaeological investigation has been conducted at Ras Baalbek specifically. The nearby ancient city of Baalbek has been more extensively excavated, revealing monumental Roman-period temple complexes dedicated to Jupiter, Bacchus, and Venus, though these post-date the biblical references to Cun by many centuries.
Verse Appearances (1)
1Chr
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