Kiriathaim
Kiriathaim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet el Qureiyeh. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Kiriathaim in Phoenicia (distinct from the Transjordanian Kiriathaim) is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:76 as one of the Levitical cities assigned to the Merarite clan from the territory of Naphtali. The allocation of Levitical cities throughout Israel's tribes was commanded by God through Moses (Numbers 35:1-8) and executed under Joshua's leadership. The Merarites, as the third major division of Levites descended from Levi's son Merari, were responsible for transporting the structural components of the Tabernacle during Israel's wilderness journey (Numbers 4:29-33). Their settlement in cities like Kiriathaim throughout Naphtali's territory in upper Galilee ensured that Levitical ministry and instruction in the Law reached even the northernmost regions of Israel. The name Kiriathaim means "double city" or "twin cities," possibly indicating that the settlement comprised two adjacent communities. In the parallel passage of Joshua 21:32, the Levitical cities of Naphtali are listed but Kiriathaim appears under a different name, suggesting textual variation or an alternate designation for the same site.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
This northern Kiriathaim has been tentatively identified with Khirbet el-Qureiyeh, a site in the upper Galilee region of modern Israel near the Lebanese border. The identification is based primarily on geographical considerations, placing it within the tribal territory of Naphtali as described in the biblical text. Limited archaeological investigation has been conducted at the proposed site, and positive confirmation of the identification remains elusive. The broader region of upper Galilee has yielded extensive evidence of Israelite settlement during the Iron Age, including small villages and agricultural installations. Some scholars have alternatively suggested Khirbet al-Qurqas or other nearby tells as candidates. The uncertainty reflects the difficulty of identifying smaller biblical sites that lack prominent architectural remains or inscriptional evidence.
Verse Appearances (1)
1Chr
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]