Holon
Holon is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Transjordan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Kerak. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Holon in Transjordan is a Moabite city mentioned in the prophetic oracle against Moab in Jeremiah 48. In Jeremiah 48:21, Holon is listed among the cities of the plain that would experience divine judgment as God's punishment fell upon the nation of Moab for its pride, idolatry, and enmity toward Israel. The oracle in Jeremiah 48 is one of the most extensive prophetic passages concerning Moab, condemning the nation for its complacency and trust in its own strength. Holon appears alongside cities such as Jahzah, Mephaath, Dibon, and others as Jeremiah enumerates the settlements that would not escape the coming catastrophe. Moab's Transjordanian plateau, the setting for these cities, was a fertile and well-watered region that had known prosperity, making the announced desolation all the more striking. The broader context of Jeremiah 48 echoes earlier prophecies in Isaiah 15-16, and together these passages underscore God's sovereignty over the nations surrounding Israel and his demand for justice and humility from all peoples.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The Transjordanian Holon mentioned in Jeremiah 48:21 is distinct from the Judean Holon and has been tentatively associated with sites in the Moabite plateau of modern Jordan. Some scholars have proposed identification with locations in the vicinity of modern Kerak (ancient Kir-Hareseth), the principal city of Moab. The plateau region east of the Dead Sea has been surveyed by the Archaeological Survey of Jordan, which has documented Iron Age II occupation at numerous sites consistent with the Moabite cities named in Jeremiah's oracle. The specific site of this Holon has not been definitively identified or excavated, and its precise location within the Moabite plateau remains uncertain.
Verse Appearances (1)
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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]