Jabesh-gilead
Jabesh-gilead is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Galilee in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tell el Maqlub. It appears across 20 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Jabesh-gilead, located east of the Jordan River, features prominently in some of the most dramatic narratives of early Israelite history. It first appears in Judges 21:8-14, where the other tribes discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had joined the assembly at Mizpah, leading to a punitive expedition and the provision of wives for the decimated tribe of Benjamin. The city's most celebrated episode involves the Ammonite king Nahash, who besieged it and threatened to gouge out the right eye of every inhabitant (1 Samuel 11:1-11). This crisis became the catalyst for Saul's rise to kingship, as he rallied all Israel and delivered the city in a stunning military victory. The people of Jabesh-gilead never forgot this debt of honor. When Saul and his sons fell at Mount Gilboa, the valiant men of Jabesh-gilead marched through the night to recover their bodies from the wall of Beth-shan, giving them a proper burial (1 Samuel 31:11-13). David later commended them for this courageous act of loyalty (2 Samuel 2:4-6), and the bones were eventually reinterred in the tomb of Saul's father Kish (2 Samuel 21:12-14).
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Jabesh-gilead is most commonly identified with Tell el-Maqlub, situated in the Wadi Yabis approximately 10 kilometers east of the Jordan River in modern Jordan. The site occupies a strategic position overlooking the wadis that provide access to the Jordan Valley, consistent with the biblical narratives involving rapid military movements to and from the city. Surface surveys have yielded pottery from the Iron Age I-II periods, aligning with the biblical chronology. An alternative identification with Tell Abu Kharaz in the Jordan Valley has also been proposed by some scholars. The Wadi Yabis preserves the ancient name in its Arabic form, providing strong toponomastic evidence for the general location. Systematic excavation of Tell el-Maqlub has been limited, leaving many questions about the site's stratigraphy and material culture unanswered.
Verse Appearances (20)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →