Racal
Racal is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet el Kirmil. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Racal appears in 1 Samuel 30:29 as one of the places to which David sent portions of the spoil recovered from the Amalekites after their raid on Ziklag. When David and his men returned from defeating the Amalekite raiding party that had burned Ziklag and taken their families captive, David distributed the plunder among the elders of Judah in various towns where he and his men had roamed during his years as a fugitive from Saul. This act of generosity served both as thanksgiving for divine deliverance and as a strategic gesture of goodwill that helped consolidate David's support base in the southern Judean towns before he became king. Some ancient manuscripts read "Carmel" instead of Racal, leading scholars to debate whether Racal is a distinct settlement or a textual variant. If Racal is indeed a separate town, it was among the communities of the southern Judean hills that sheltered David during his wilderness years. These towns later formed the core of David's political support when he was first anointed king over Judah at Hebron (2 Samuel 2:4).
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Racal has been tentatively identified with Khirbet el-Kirmil, located in the southern Judean hill country near Carmel (modern Khirbet el-Kermel). The textual uncertainty surrounding Racal, with some manuscript traditions reading Carmel instead, complicates precise identification. The broader region of the southern Judean hills has been extensively surveyed, revealing numerous small Iron Age settlements that correspond to the network of towns mentioned in David's narrative. Surface pottery collections from the area indicate occupation during the late Iron Age I and Iron Age II periods, consistent with the Davidic era. The landscape of rocky hills, terraced fields, and pastoral lands matches the biblical description of the region where David and his men moved among sympathetic communities while evading Saul.
Verse Appearances (1)
1Sam
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →