Where was the biblical city of Kinah located?

Kinah was an ancient city located in the Negev region, the southern part of Judah. Its ruins are identified today with the archaeological site Horbat Uza in modern-day Israel (Joshua 15:22).

What happened at Kinah in the Bible?

The Bible does not record any specific events at Kinah. It is mentioned only once as a city in the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah, listed among other towns in the Negev (Joshua 15:22).

Why is Kinah significant in biblical history?

Kinah's significance lies in its inclusion in the tribal allotment of Judah, confirming the tribe's southern boundaries. As a named location, it helps archaeologists and historians map the settlement and influence of ancient Israel in the Negev region.

Kinah

cityOld TestamentNegev

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Modern Name

Horbat Uza

Country

Israel

Region

Negev

Coordinates

31.1789, 35.1747

Kinah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Negev in modern-day Israel. Known today as Horbat Uza. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.

Biblical History

Kinah is mentioned only once in Scripture, in Joshua 15:22, where it appears in a list of cities allotted to the tribe of Judah in the southern Negev region near the border of Edom. The distribution of territory described in Joshua 15 represents the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would possess the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:18-21). Kinah's placement in the southernmost district of Judah's inheritance indicates it served as a frontier settlement on the edge of Israelite territory. The name Kinah may derive from the Hebrew root meaning "lamentation" or may be related to the Kenites, the semi-nomadic clan associated with Moses' father-in-law (Judges 1:16). This possible Kenite connection is supported by the fact that Judges 1:16 specifically records Kenites settling in the Negev of Judah near Arad, precisely the region where Kinah was located. The city's frontier position underscores Judah's role as guardian of Israel's southern border.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

Kinah has been identified by some scholars with Horvat Uza (Khirbet Ghazza), an archaeological site in the eastern Negev highlands approximately 8 kilometers southeast of Arad. Excavations at Horvat Uza, conducted primarily in the 1980s by Tel Aviv University, revealed a significant Israelite fortress dating to the Iron Age II period (8th-7th centuries BCE). The fortress featured casemate walls, a four-chambered gate, and yielded numerous ostraca inscribed in Hebrew and Edomite, along with an important Edomite religious inscription. These finds confirm the site's role as a border fortification between Judah and Edom. However, the identification with Kinah remains uncertain, and other sites in the Negev region have also been proposed.

Verse Appearances (1)

Josh

Josh 15:22

Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →

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