Meconah
Meconah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Tatrit. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Meconah (also spelled Mekonah) appears once in Scripture, in Nehemiah 11:28, within a list of towns resettled by the people of Judah after the return from Babylonian exile. The verse states that descendants of Judah lived in Meconah and its surrounding villages as part of the postexilic restoration of the land. This resettlement was a significant moment in Israel's history, representing the fulfillment of prophetic promises that the exiles would return and reinhabit their ancestral towns (Jeremiah 30:18). Nehemiah's list in chapter 11 documents the administrative reorganization of Judah under Persian rule, showing that the returnees spread across the historic territory from Beersheba in the south to the Valley of Hinnom. Meconah's location in the southern Judean region, near Ziklag and other Negev towns, indicates that the postexilic community reclaimed territory extending well south of Jerusalem. Though a minor reference, Meconah's inclusion testifies to the comprehensive nature of the restoration and God's faithfulness in bringing His people home.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Meconah has been tentatively identified with Khirbet Tatrit, located in the northern Negev region of southern Israel, though this identification is not universally accepted. The site lies in the semi-arid zone between the Judean hills and the Beersheba basin, consistent with its listing among southern Judean settlements in Nehemiah 11. The broader Negev region has been extensively surveyed, revealing patterns of settlement expansion and contraction that correspond to the biblical periods of Judahite occupation, Babylonian destruction, and postexilic resettlement. Iron Age and Persian-period pottery has been found at various sites in this area. No dedicated excavation has been conducted at Khirbet Tatrit to confirm the identification with biblical Meconah.
Verse Appearances (1)
Neh
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →