Jebus
Jebus is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Jerusalem. It appears across 7 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Jebus was the ancient name for the city that would become Jerusalem, home of the Jebusites, a Canaanite people. The name appears most significantly in the account of the Levite's concubine in Judges 19:10-11, where the city is explicitly identified as 'Jebus, that is, Jerusalem,' a Canaanite settlement that Israelite travelers chose to bypass in favor of Gibeah. Joshua 18:28 lists Jebus among the cities allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, though the Benjaminites failed to drive out the Jebusites who lived there (Judges 1:21). The city remained in Jebusite hands for centuries until David captured it by sending his men through the water shaft (2 Samuel 5:6-9; 1 Chronicles 11:4-8). The Jebusites famously taunted David that even the blind and lame could defend their fortress, yet David conquered it and renamed it the City of David. This conquest transformed Jebus from a pagan stronghold into the spiritual center of Israel and ultimately the city where God chose to place His name, fulfilling the trajectory of redemptive history toward the New Jerusalem.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Jebus is identified with the City of David, the original settlement on the southeastern ridge of Jerusalem south of the present-day Temple Mount. Extensive excavations by Kathleen Kenyon, Yigal Shiloh, Eilat Mazar, and others have revealed substantial remains from the Middle Bronze Age through the Iron Age, including massive stepped-stone structures, fortification walls, and the Warren's Shaft water system that may relate to David's conquest. The Jebusite city occupied approximately 4.5 hectares on the narrow Ophel ridge between the Kidron and Tyropoeon Valleys. Recent discoveries include monumental architecture dated to the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages, suggesting a well-fortified settlement consistent with the biblical account of the Jebusites' confidence in their defenses. The City of David archaeological park is now one of Israel's most visited sites.
Verse Appearances (7)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →