Kedesh
Kedesh is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tel Kedesh. It appears across 4 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
This entry for Kedesh at Tel Kedesh represents the most frequently referenced iteration of the city in Naphtali's territory, appearing across four biblical passages. As one of the original Canaanite royal cities, its king was defeated by Joshua during the conquest (Joshua 12:22). The city was subsequently allotted to Naphtali (Joshua 19:37) and designated both as a city of refuge (Joshua 20:7) and a Levitical city for the Gershonites (Joshua 21:32). In the era of the judges, Kedesh gained renown as the home of Barak, the military commander whom Deborah commissioned to deliver Israel from Jabin king of Hazor and his general Sisera (Judges 4:6-10). Kedesh also features in the account of the Assyrian conquest: 2 Kings 15:29 records that Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria captured Kedesh along with other northern cities and deported the population to Assyria, effectively ending Israelite settlement in the region. This trajectory from Canaanite stronghold to Israelite city of refuge to Assyrian conquest encapsulates the larger arc of Israel's northern history.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Tel Kedesh is one of the most thoroughly investigated sites in the upper Galilee, excavated by joint University of Michigan and University of Minnesota expeditions. The tell rises prominently above the surrounding landscape, commanding views of the Huleh Valley and the approach routes from the north. Excavations uncovered substantial remains from the Persian and Hellenistic periods, including a monumental administrative building with over two thousand bullae (clay seal impressions), indicating the site functioned as a regional center. Earlier Iron Age strata confirm occupation during the Israelite period, consistent with the biblical accounts. Assyrian destruction layers from the late eighth century BC corroborate the conquest described in 2 Kings 15:29. The site is accessible today as a national park.
Verse Appearances (4)
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]