Anim
Anim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Horbat Anim. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Anim is listed in Joshua 15:50 among the cities in the hill country district of Judah, in a cluster of towns allocated to that tribe as part of the division of Canaan under Joshua. It appears in the same list as Debir, Anab, and other towns in the southern Judean hill country. The city sits in the elevated hill country south of Hebron, in the transitional zone between the highlands and the northern Negeb. While Anim receives no individual narrative attention in Scripture, its position in Judah's southern hill country inheritance places it in a region of considerable biblical significance. The Hebron area hills were associated with the patriarchs, with the Anakim, and with Caleb's conquest (Joshua 14:13–15). Anim was part of the settled landscape through which David passed during his years as a fugitive in the Judean wilderness, and the region later supported the Maccabean resistance. Its inclusion in the Judahite city list demonstrates the comprehensive recording of the covenant land, affirming that even small hill-country towns were part of the promise fulfilled in the conquest.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Anim is identified with Horbat Anim (Khirbet Ghuwein et-Tahta), a ruined site in the southern Judean hills approximately 16 kilometers south-southwest of Hebron. The identification is broadly accepted based on toponymic similarity and geographical location. Israeli surveys and limited excavations at the site have revealed Iron Age II remains, including pottery, building remains, and agricultural installations, confirming occupation during the monarchy period. The site sits at an elevation of approximately 900 meters, commanding views over the southern Hebron hills. A nearby spring supported ancient habitation. The surrounding area contains additional Iron Age sites, attesting to a network of agricultural settlements in the southern Judean highlands throughout the biblical period.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
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]