Gidom
Gidom is a region mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Samaria in modern-day Israel. Known today as El Jai Cave. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Gidom is mentioned only once in the Old Testament, in Judges 20:45, during the account of the catastrophic civil war against Benjamin following the outrage at Gibeah. The massed armies of Israel had already driven the Benjaminite forces from the field in a devastating defeat, and the fleeing Benjaminite remnant was pursued toward the wilderness. The biblical text states that the Israelites overtook the fleeing men and struck down two thousand of them at Gidom on the road to the wilderness. The name does not appear elsewhere in Scripture, and its precise location has been lost. It appears to have been a locality in the Benjaminite wilderness east of Bethel and Gibeon, marking the furthest extent of the Israelite pursuit before the survivors found refuge at the Rock of Rimmon. Gidom thus serves as a geographical marker for the near-extinction of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the most tragic episodes in the book of Judges, which closes with the haunting refrain that 'everyone did what was right in his own eyes' in the absence of a king in Israel.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Gidom has not been identified with any known archaeological site. Its single mention in Judges 20 provides only a general orientation — somewhere in the wilderness east of Gibeon and Bethel, along a route toward the Jordan valley. The El Jai Cave association suggested in some sources reflects local geographical tradition rather than confirmed archaeological identification. The wilderness of Benjamin east of the central highland ridge contains numerous caves and rock formations but has not yielded any site specifically linkable to the ancient name Gidom. Without further textual or epigraphic evidence, its location will likely remain unknown.
Verse Appearances (1)
Judg
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →