Shaaraim
Shaaraim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Negev in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tall al Ajjul. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
This second Shaaraim is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:31 as one of the cities belonging to the tribe of Simeon "until the reign of David." Simeon's allotment was embedded within the larger territory of Judah in the southern Negev region, as Jacob had prophesied that Simeon would be scattered in Israel (Genesis 49:7). The cities listed in 1 Chronicles 4:28-31 largely parallel those in Joshua 19:2-8, though with some variations in names and spellings. The notation that these were Simeonite cities "until the reign of David" suggests a reorganization of tribal territories during the establishment of the united monarchy. Some Simeonite clans evidently migrated to other regions, as indicated later in the same chapter (1 Chronicles 4:39-43). This Shaaraim's location in the Negev, distinct from the Shephelah city of the same name associated with the David and Goliath narrative, reflects the common ancient practice of multiple settlements sharing the same name. The Simeonite Shaaraim represents the southernmost extent of Israelite settlement in the tribal period, part of the buffer zone between settled Judah and the wilderness regions to the south.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
This Simeonite Shaaraim has been tentatively associated with Tell el-Ajjul (Tall al-Ajjul), a prominent archaeological mound located about six kilometers southwest of Gaza near the Wadi Ghazzeh (Nahal Besor). The site was extensively excavated by Sir Flinders Petrie from 1930 to 1934, revealing occupation spanning from the Middle Bronze Age through the Late Bronze Age, with significant gold hoards and evidence of Egyptian influence. However, the identification with Shaaraim is uncertain, and other candidates have been proposed. The Negev region contains numerous tells from the Iron Age that could correspond to various Simeonite settlements. The area around Tell el-Ajjul has been subject to modern development and conflict-related damage. Systematic resurvey of potential Simeonite city sites in the northern Negev remains an ongoing scholarly endeavor.
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]