Kedar
Kedar is a region mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Arabia in modern-day Iraq. Known today as Dumat al Jandal. It appears across 9 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Kedar refers to both a tribal confederation and the territory they inhabited in the northern Arabian desert, descended from Ishmael's second son Kedar (Genesis 25:13). The Kedarites appear frequently in Scripture as emblematic of the desert-dwelling peoples east of Israel. Isaiah prophesied both judgment and restoration for Kedar: Isaiah 21:16-17 announces the decline of Kedar's glory within a year, while Isaiah 42:11 calls the settlements of Kedar to sing praise to the Lord in the messianic age. Isaiah 60:7 envisions Kedar's flocks streaming to Jerusalem in eschatological worship. Jeremiah 2:10 invokes Kedar as a distant eastern reference point, and Jeremiah 49:28-33 records Nebuchadnezzar's devastating campaign against the Kedarites. The Song of Solomon 1:5 poetically compares the beloved's complexion to the dark goat-hair tents of Kedar. Psalm 120:5 laments dwelling among Kedar as a metaphor for living among hostile peoples. Ezekiel 27:21 notes Kedar's trade in lambs, rams, and goats with Tyre. Together, these references paint Kedar as a powerful, semi-nomadic people whose ultimate destiny was caught up in God's universal redemptive plan.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The Kedarites are well attested in extra-biblical sources, appearing in Assyrian inscriptions from the eighth and seventh centuries BC as Qidri or Qadri, a powerful Arabian tribal confederation. Assyrian records document both military conflicts with and tribute received from Kedarite rulers. The Kedarites controlled vital trade routes across the northern Arabian desert, and their territory centered around Dumat al-Jandal (modern al-Jawf in Saudi Arabia), an important oasis settlement. Archaeological work at Dumat al-Jandal has uncovered fortifications, temples, and inscriptions from multiple periods. The site's Marid Castle and al-Umar Mosque attest to the location's enduring strategic importance. Nabataean and later Arabian inscriptions found throughout the region confirm the long persistence of Kedarite cultural influence.
Verse Appearances (9)
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]