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 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
This Kedesh, identified with Tel Kedesh in the territory of Naphtali near the Phoenician border, appears in two biblical passages as part of the territorial and administrative organization of ancient Israel. It was among the cities allotted to the tribe of Naphtali during Joshua's distribution of the Promised Land (Joshua 19:37), listed alongside Hazor, Iron, and other northern cities. The name Kedesh, meaning "holy place" or "sanctuary," indicates its earlier significance as a Canaanite cultic site. Located in the upper Galilee near the headwaters of the Jordan River, this Kedesh sat at a strategic position controlling access routes between the coastal plain and the interior highlands. The city's placement within Naphtali's territory fulfilled part of the patriarchal blessing pronounced by Jacob, who described Naphtali as "a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns" (Genesis 49:21). Its position in the far north of Israel made it vulnerable to foreign invasion, and the region was among the first territories to fall to the Assyrian campaigns of the eighth century BC.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Tel Kedesh, located approximately 10 kilometers northwest of Hazor in the upper Galilee, has been the subject of significant archaeological investigation. Excavations by the Universities of Michigan and Minnesota uncovered a large Persian-period administrative building and an impressive Hellenistic-Roman temple complex. The site shows continuous occupation from the Early Bronze Age through the Roman period. Notable finds include thousands of clay seal impressions (bullae) from the Hellenistic period, one of the largest such collections found in Israel. The Persian-period building, measuring approximately 16 by 12 meters, contained columned halls and storage facilities indicating administrative importance. The site commands panoramic views of the Huleh Valley, confirming its strategic significance.
Verse Appearances (2)
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]