En-hazor
En-hazor is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Israel. Known today as Aynata. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
En-hazor is mentioned only once in Scripture, appearing in Joshua 19:37 as one of the fortified cities in the territory allotted to the tribe of Naphtali in northern Galilee. The name means 'spring of Hazor,' suggesting the city may have been associated with or dependent upon the great city of Hazor that dominated the northern Galilee region in the Late Bronze Age. Naphtali's territory stretched through the upper Galilee highlands and the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, a region of exceptional beauty and fertility. The tribe of Naphtali features prominently in the Song of Deborah (Judges 5:18), praised for fighting bravely against Sisera at the waters of Megiddo. Though En-hazor itself is not singled out for any specific event, its inclusion in Naphtali's city list places it in a region that experienced the full sweep of Israel's history from conquest through exile, culminating in the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2 that the land of Naphtali would one day see a great light — fulfilled in Jesus' Galilean ministry.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
En-hazor is tentatively identified with Aynata (also spelled Aynata or Aynatha), a village in the upper Galilee region of modern Lebanon or northern Israel. The identification is based on topographical analysis of the Joshua 19 city list for Naphtali and the preservation of a possibly related place name. The greater Hazor region dominated by Tell el-Qedah (Tel Hazor) has been extensively excavated by Yigael Yadin and subsequent Israeli teams, revealing one of the largest Canaanite and Israelite sites in the Levant. The regional water system and spring sites associated with Hazor's hinterland have been surveyed, though En-hazor's precise location and archaeological profile remain poorly documented.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →