Adasa
Adasa is an ancient city mentioned in the Bible, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Adasa.
Biblical History
Adasa is primarily known from 1 Maccabees 7:40–45, where it figures as the site of one of the most celebrated victories in Jewish military history. In 161 BCE, the Maccabean commander Judas Maccabeus defeated the Seleucid general Nicanor near this small Judean village located north of Jerusalem, close to Beth-horon. Nicanor had boasted that he would destroy the Temple if Judas was not surrendered to him, and his defeat and death at Adasa was viewed as a miraculous divine vindication. The day of this victory, the 13th of Adar, was thereafter celebrated as "Nicanor's Day", one of the few non-Torah Jewish festival days mentioned in ancient sources. While Adasa itself is a minor settlement, its role as the theater of Judas Maccabeus's triumph gave it lasting commemorative significance in Jewish tradition. The battle demonstrated that God had not abandoned Israel despite decades of Hellenistic oppression, reinforcing the theological conviction that faithfulness to the Torah would be rewarded with divine protection and national redemption.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Adasa is identified with Khirbet Adasa, located approximately 9 kilometers north of Jerusalem in the Benjamin plateau region, near the village of Jaba. The site occupies a low hill with commanding views over the surrounding countryside, consistent with its strategic military relevance in the Maccabean period. Archaeological surface surveys have identified pottery sherds from the Iron Age through the Hellenistic and Roman periods, confirming continuous habitation across the relevant historical epochs. No major excavations have been conducted at the site, but its general identification is broadly accepted among scholars. The nearby road to Beth-horon would have made Adasa a natural position for intercepting forces approaching Jerusalem from the northwest.
Verse Appearances (0)
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]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]