Aphekah
Aphekah is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet al Hadab. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Aphekah is a city of Judah mentioned only once in Scripture, appearing in Joshua 15:53 as part of the list of towns allotted to the tribe of Judah in the hill country. The passage situates it among a cluster of settlements in the Judean highlands, towns such as Janim, Beth-tappuah, and Humtah, suggesting it was a minor administrative settlement in the mountainous interior of the territory. Though Aphekah receives no narrative attention beyond this single reference, its inclusion in the tribal allotment lists of Joshua underscores the meticulous care with which the biblical text preserves the memory of Israel's land inheritance. The name likely shares the same root as Aphek, meaning "fortress" or "enclosure," pointing to its probable function as a fortified highland settlement. The town's obscurity in the biblical record reflects the reality that many towns in the Judean hills were small agricultural communities whose significance lay in their contribution to the daily life and territorial integrity of the tribe of Judah rather than in dramatic historical events.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Aphekah is tentatively identified with Khirbet al-Hadab, a ruin site in the Judean highlands, though the identification is uncertain and debated among scholars. Surface surveys of the region have revealed pottery sherds and architectural remains consistent with Iron Age habitation, suggesting continuous settlement from the period of Israel's monarchy. The site has not been subject to systematic excavation. Its location in the hilly terrain southwest of Hebron aligns with the geographical cluster of towns listed in Joshua 15, lending some credibility to the proposed identification. Much about this site remains conjectural pending further archaeological investigation.
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]