Ophni
Ophni is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. Known today as Jifna. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Ophni is a town mentioned only once in Scripture, in Joshua 18:24, where it appears in the list of cities allotted to the tribe of Benjamin during the division of the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership. The town is listed alongside Chephar-ammoni and Geba as part of Benjamin's territorial inheritance in the central hill country. Though Ophni receives no further mention in the biblical narrative, its inclusion in Benjamin's allotment places it within a strategically important tribal territory. Benjamin's inheritance lay between the powerful tribes of Judah and Ephraim, straddling key routes through the central highlands. The region would later become significant as the setting for numerous biblical events, including Saul's kingship and the battles of the Judges period. Ophni's location along the road from Jerusalem northward to Bethel meant it sat on one of ancient Israel's most traveled routes, giving it commercial and military importance beyond what its single scriptural mention might suggest. The town represents the many small settlements that formed the backbone of Israelite tribal life.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Ophni is identified with Jifna, a Palestinian village located approximately five kilometers north of Ramallah and roughly twenty kilometers north of Jerusalem. The site sits along the ancient north-south ridge route through the central hill country. Jifna has remains dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods, including the ruins of a Crusader-era church dedicated to St. George. The identification with biblical Ophni is based primarily on the preservation of a similar name and the correspondence with the geographic description of Benjamin's allotment. Systematic archaeological excavation of the earlier strata has been limited, though surface pottery surveys have indicated occupation extending back to the Iron Age. The village today is a small Christian-majority community surrounded by agricultural terraces.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →