Kedesh
Kedesh is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Qedish. It appears across 3 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
This Kedesh, identified with Khirbet Qedish near Tel Kedesh in upper Galilee, is referenced in three biblical passages that establish its importance as a city of refuge and Levitical center. Joshua 20:7 designates Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali, as one of six cities of refuge where those who accidentally killed someone could flee from the avenger of blood. Joshua 21:32 assigns it as a Levitical city given to the Gershonite clan, confirming its dual role as both a sanctuary and a priestly residence. Judges 4:6 identifies Kedesh as the home of Barak son of Abinoam, whom Deborah the prophetess summoned to lead ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun against Sisera's Canaanite army. From Kedesh, Barak mustered his forces and marched to Mount Tabor, where the Lord routed Sisera's iron chariots at the Kishon River (Judges 4:14-15). Kedesh thus served as both a place of legal protection and a launching point for divine deliverance.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Khirbet Qedish lies adjacent to Tel Kedesh in the upper Galilee, and the two sites together represent the broader settlement area of ancient Kedesh-Naphtali. The site has been surveyed and partially excavated, revealing occupation layers from the Bronze Age through the Byzantine period. Its designation as a city of refuge is consistent with its accessible location along major north-south routes through the Huleh Valley. The Roman-period settlement at the site included domestic structures and agricultural installations. Nearby Tel Kedesh has provided more extensive archaeological data, including the well-known Hellenistic archive of seal impressions. The broader area preserves evidence of its long-standing importance as a regional center in the northern Galilee.
Verse Appearances (3)
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]