Gederah
Gederah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Judraya. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
This entry for Gederah shares the same identification and location as the previous record, likely representing an alternate tradition or parallel reference within the biblical text. Gederah, situated in the Shephelah lowlands of the tribe of Judah, is attested in Joshua 15:36 among the cities of the second Shephelah district. First Chronicles 4:23 provides the richest detail about the community: "These were the potters and those who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they lived there in the king's service." This brief notice reveals that Gederah was home to royal artisans, potters whose craft served the administrative and economic needs of the Judean monarchy. The Shephelah, a transitional zone between the coastal plain and the Judean hills, was an agricultural and industrial heartland of ancient Judah, dotted with towns engaged in olive oil production, weaving, and pottery. Gederah's craftsmen reflect the organized economic life of the monarchy period, in which skilled trades were often centered in specific towns and operated under royal direction. Though Gederah never becomes the stage for major military or prophetic events, its community of potters quietly sustained the kingdom's material culture across generations of Israelite history.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The identification of Gederah with Khirbet Judraya in the Shephelah region of Israel is consistent across scholarly references. Survey evidence from the site and surrounding area has documented Iron Age occupation, with ceramic assemblages reflecting the pottery-making tradition referenced in 1 Chronicles 4:23. The Shephelah has been extensively studied through regional surveys and excavations at major sites such as Lachish and Azekah, providing important context for understanding smaller communities like Gederah within the broader settlement pattern of Iron Age Judah. No dedicated excavation at Khirbet Judraya itself has been published, but the site's surface remains support the continuity of ancient occupation.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
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]