wilderness of Maon
wilderness of Maon is a region mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tel Main. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
The Wilderness of Maon appears in 1 Samuel 23:24-25 as a refuge for David during his years of flight from Saul. After David had received a divine warning that the men of Keilah would betray him, he retreated to the wilderness of Ziph and then into the wilderness of Maon, specifically the Arabah south of Maon, to escape Saul's pursuing army. Saul pressed his pursuit so closely that at one point only a mountain separated the two parties. At this critical moment, as Saul was moving around one side of the mountain to cut off David, a messenger arrived with urgent news of a Philistine raid, forcing Saul to abandon the chase. The place of that near-capture became known as Sela Hammahlekoth, meaning "the rock of parting" or "the rock of escape" (1 Samuel 23:28). The incident exemplifies the providential intervention of God on David's behalf during his fugitive years. The wilderness of Maon, an arid region in the southern Judean hills near the town of Maon, provided the inhospitable terrain that both sheltered and endangered David. It is a recurring feature of the David narrative, emphasizing the harsh physical realities of his exile.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The town of Maon, from which this wilderness region takes its name, is identified with Tell Main (Khirbet Main), located in the southern Judean hills roughly eight miles south of Hebron. The site has been surveyed and shows Iron Age occupation consistent with the period of the judges and the early monarchy. The surrounding wilderness is part of the semi-arid zone that transitions toward the Negev, characterized by rocky terrain and sparse vegetation. This landscape is well-suited to the hide-and-seek character of the David and Saul narratives. Nabal, the wealthy landowner who refused David's men provisions, is described in 1 Samuel 25:2 as having his property in Maon, further confirming the region's association with the Davidic traditions.
Verse Appearances (2)
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]