Mahaneh-dan
Mahaneh-dan is a location mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as between Eshtaol and Zorah. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Mahaneh-dan, meaning "camp of Dan," is referenced in Judges 18:12, which describes the Danite migration northward in search of new territory. Six hundred armed men from the tribe of Dan set out from Zorah and Eshtaol and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah, and the text notes that "this is why that place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day." This migration narrative reveals the tribe of Dan's inability to fully secure its original allotment in the southwestern foothills due to pressure from the Amorites and Philistines (Judges 1:34). The Danites' encampment became a named landmark commemorating their passage through Judah's territory en route to conquering the peaceful city of Laish in the far north (Judges 18:27-29). This episode, which also involved the theft of Micah's idol and the establishment of an unauthorized shrine, represents one of the darker chapters in the period of the Judges. Mahaneh-dan stands as a geographical witness to tribal displacement and the spiritual disorder that characterized Israel before the monarchy.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
This reference to Mahaneh-dan places it specifically west of Kiriath-jearim, which is identified with Tell el-Azhar (Deir el-Azar) near the modern village of Abu Ghosh, approximately twelve kilometers west of Jerusalem. The area west of Kiriath-jearim descends into the foothills leading toward the Aijalon Valley, a natural staging ground for groups moving between the hill country and the coastal lowlands. Archaeological surveys in the vicinity have documented multiple small encampment sites from the Iron Age I period, though none can be specifically linked to the Danite camp. The broader region around Kiriath-jearim has received significant archaeological attention, with recent excavations at the tell itself revealing monumental remains. The landscape retains its hilly, wooded character consistent with ancient descriptions.
Verse Appearances (1)
Judg
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]