Chilmad
Chilmad is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Persia in modern-day Iraq. Known today as Tell Jindaris. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Chilmad appears once in the Hebrew Bible in Ezekiel 27:23, embedded within the prophet's extended lament over Tyre, the great Phoenician trading city. In this oracle, Ezekiel catalogs the vast network of Tyre's commercial partners from across the known world, listing Haran, Canneh, Eden, Asshur, and Kilmad as merchants who traded with Tyre in luxurious goods — "choice garments, blue fabrics, embroidered work, and multicolored rugs." The passage portrays Tyre as the hub of an ancient international economy stretching from Mesopotamia to Arabia. Chilmad is likely a Mesopotamian trading city or district, though its precise identification remains uncertain. Its inclusion among prominent Mesopotamian trading centers such as Haran and Asshur suggests it was recognized as a significant commercial partner in the seventh to sixth century BC Near Eastern world. The lament as a whole serves Ezekiel's theological purpose of showing that Tyre's immense wealth and far-flung connections could not protect her from divine judgment.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The identification of Chilmad is among the more contested questions in biblical geography. Some scholars propose identifying it with Kulmadara or a similar Mesopotamian toponym attested in Assyrian commercial texts, while others suggest emending the Hebrew text. The coordinates traditionally associated with Chilmad point to Tell Jindaris in the region of northwestern Iran, though this identification is speculative. Assyrian trade records from Nineveh and Nimrud document extensive commercial networks across Mesopotamia and into Anatolia during the periods relevant to Ezekiel, confirming the historical plausibility of the trading partnerships described. A fully satisfying archaeological identification of Chilmad has not yet been established.
Verse Appearances (1)
Ezek
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →