Early Access: Sign up to unlock all Pro features free through the end of 2026.
Biblexika

Janua

cityBoth TestamentsGalilee0 verses
Today YamunCountry IsraelCoordinates 32.486, 35.235

Janua is an ancient city mentioned in the Bible, located in the region of Galilee in modern-day Israel. Known today as Yamun.

Loading map...
Archaeological Data
Occupation Phases
Chalcolithic4500 BCE – 3050 BCE
Early Bronze Age I3800 BCE – 3050 BCE
Early Bronze Age IV/Middle Bronze Age I/Int. Bronze2500 BCE – 2000 BCE
Middle Bronze Age I2000 BCE – 1750 BCE
Middle Bronze Age2000 BCE – 1550 BCE
Middle Bronze Age II-III1750 BCE – 1550 BCE
Late Bronze Age1550 BCE – 1150 BCE
Late Bronze Age I1550 BCE – 1400 BCE
Late Bronze Age II1400 BCE – 1200 BCE
Iron Age I1150 BCE – 980 BCE
Iron Age IIa-b980 BCE – 720 BCE
Iron Age IIc720 BCE – 539 BCE
Iron Age III (Persian)539 BCE – 333 BCE
Hellenistic333 BCE – 63 BCE
Early Roman63 BCE – 70 CE
Roman-Byzantine63 BCE – 638 CE
Late Roman70 CE – 324 CE
Byzantine324 CE – 638 CE
UnitoAssyrianGovernance, Villages to Empires Dataset (CC BY 4.0), doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732

Biblical History

Janua, also rendered Janum in some translations, appears in the Old Testament as a town in the hill country of Judah. It is listed among the cities allotted to the tribe of Judah during the distribution of the Promised Land under Joshua (Joshua 15:53). The town appears in a cluster of settlements in the southern hill country, grouped with Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, all of which played roles in the narratives of David's flight from Saul. While Janua itself does not feature prominently in any specific biblical narrative, its inclusion in Joshua's allotment lists underscores the thoroughness of Israel's settlement of Canaan and the fulfillment of God's promise to give the land to Abraham's descendants. The town's location in the Judean highlands placed it within the heartland of what would become the kingdom of Judah, the tribe from which David and ultimately the Messiah would come. Its mention preserves the memory of a once-inhabited settlement that contributed to the fabric of Israelite life in the hill country.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

Janua is generally identified with Khirbet Beni Naim or the village of Yamun, situated in the southern Judean hill country near Hebron. The site has not been the subject of major archaeological excavation, though surface surveys of the region have documented pottery sherds from the Iron Age, consistent with Israelite settlement during the period of the judges and the monarchy. The surrounding area is characterized by terraced hillsides suitable for agriculture, particularly viticulture and olive cultivation. The modern identification remains tentative, as several candidates have been proposed by different scholars. The region today lies within the West Bank, and the general area preserves numerous ancient ruins and agricultural installations from the biblical period.

Verse Appearances (0)

References

  1. Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
  2. OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
  3. Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
  4. Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
  5. Lawrence, D. et al. (2025) Villages to Empires: a settlement dataset for the Southern Levant. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732. [CC BY 4.0]
  6. Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources