Emek-keziz
Emek-keziz is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tell es Sultan. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Emek-keziz is mentioned only once in Scripture, appearing in Joshua 18:21 among the cities of the tribe of Benjamin in the Jordan Valley. The name translates roughly as 'valley of Keziz' or 'cut-off valley,' suggesting a geographic depression or gorge in the eastern portion of Benjamin's territory. Its position in the list places it among settlements near Jericho and the fords of the Jordan, a zone of profound biblical importance from the conquest narratives onward. The Jordan Valley region where Emek-keziz lay was a critical corridor for movement between Transjordan and the central highlands, traversed by Joshua's armies during the conquest (Joshua 3-4) and later used by David during his flight from Absalom (2 Samuel 17). Though Emek-keziz itself receives no further mention in biblical narrative, it stands as part of the careful documentation of Benjamin's territory — the tribe that gave Israel its first king, Saul, and that remained loyal to the house of David even after the kingdom divided.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Emek-keziz is commonly equated with Tell es-Sultan, the mound underlying ancient Jericho, or with sites in the Jordan plain near Jericho, though definitive identification remains uncertain. Tell es-Sultan itself is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the world, with occupation extending back to the Mesolithic period. Excavations by John Garstang in the 1930s and Kathleen Kenyon in the 1950s revealed successive city walls and occupation layers. The Iron Age stratigraphy at Jericho has proven somewhat elusive, but the surrounding valley contains numerous unexcavated mounds and ancient field systems that could represent towns listed in the Benjaminite city roster.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →