Carnaim
An Ancient City with Deep Roots
Carnaim, also spelled Karnain or Carnion, was a city in the region east of the Jordan River, in the area known as Bashan or Gilead. The name means 'two horns' or 'double peak,' likely referring to a geographic feature near the site. The city is widely identified with the ancient Ashteroth-karnaim, a place mentioned as early as Genesis 14:5, where Chedorlaomer and his allied kings defeated the Rephaim. This makes Carnaim one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the biblical record.
The Maccabean Campaign
Carnaim features prominently in the account of Judas Maccabeus's military campaign east of the Jordan, recorded in 1 Maccabees 5. Jewish communities living in the Transjordan region faced severe persecution from surrounding Gentile populations. Appeals for help reached Judas in Jerusalem, prompting him to lead a rescue mission. After a series of victories, Judas advanced on Carnaim, which was one of the strongest fortified cities in the region (1 Maccabees 5:26, 43-44).
The Temple of Atargatis
One of the most significant features of Carnaim was its temple dedicated to Atargatis, the Syrian goddess also known as Derceto. When Judas captured the city, those who had fled took refuge in this temple. According to the account, Judas put them to death within the sacred precinct and burned the temple (1 Maccabees 5:44). The parallel account in 2 Maccabees 12:21-26, which calls the city Carnion or Camion, also describes the siege and the destruction of those who sheltered in the temple enclosure.
Connection to Ashteroth-karnaim
The identification of Carnaim with Ashteroth-karnaim connects the Maccabean-era city to a site with over a thousand years of history. Ashteroth-karnaim appears in Genesis 14:5 as a city of the Rephaim, a legendary people of great stature. The city of Ashtaroth was later assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh and designated as a Levitical city (Joshua 21:27; 1 Chronicles 6:71). The site is generally identified with Tell Ashtarah in modern Syria, about 20 miles east of the Sea of Galilee.
Significance in the Broader Narrative
The capture of Carnaim represented a major victory in Judas Maccabeus's Transjordan campaign. After taking the city, Judas gathered the Jewish inhabitants of the region and escorted them safely back across the Jordan to Judea (1 Maccabees 5:45-54). This campaign demonstrated the Maccabean commitment to protecting Jewish communities wherever they lived and asserted Jewish military power in a region that had been contested since the days of the conquest under Joshua.
Biblical Context
Carnaim appears in 1 Maccabees 5:26, 43-44 and 2 Maccabees 12:21, 26 as a fortified city captured by Judas Maccabeus. Its earlier identity as Ashteroth-karnaim connects it to Genesis 14:5 and the Transjordan tribal allotments in Joshua 21:27. The city stands at the intersection of patriarchal history and the Maccabean resistance.
Theological Significance
The destruction of Atargatis's temple at Carnaim illustrates the conflict between Israel's monotheistic faith and surrounding pagan worship. Judas's campaign to rescue persecuted Jewish communities reflects the biblical theme of God raising up deliverers for his people. The episode also demonstrates the tension between cultural assimilation and faithfulness to the covenant that runs throughout Israel's history.
Historical Background
Carnaim/Ashteroth-karnaim is identified with Tell Ashtarah in the Hauran region of modern Syria. Atargatis was one of the most important deities in the Syrian religious world, and her temples were found throughout the region. Archaeological work at Tell Ashtarah has confirmed occupation from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period, consistent with the city's long biblical history. The Maccabean campaigns of the 160s BC are well documented and fit within the broader context of the Seleucid persecution of Judaism.