Kamon
Kamon is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Bashan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Qamm. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Kamon appears only once in Scripture, in Judges 10:5, as the burial place of Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel for twenty-two years. Jair is briefly described as having thirty sons who rode thirty donkeys and controlled thirty cities in the land of Gilead, which were called Havvoth-jair (the villages of Jair). Upon his death, Jair was buried in Kamon. Though the narrative is concise, it reveals important details about the period of the judges. Jair's large family and control over thirty cities indicate considerable wealth and political influence in the Transjordanian region of Gilead. The riding of donkeys was a mark of nobility in ancient Israel, and the dispersion of his sons across multiple towns suggests a decentralized form of governance typical of the pre-monarchic period. Kamon's location in Gilead, east of the Jordan, reminds readers that Israel's tribal territory extended well beyond the Jordan River. As a burial site for a judge, Kamon held a measure of honor, commemorating a leader who maintained stability in Israel during an era often marked by apostasy and foreign oppression.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Kamon is identified with Qamm, a village in the Transjordanian highlands of northern Gilead, in what is now the Ajloun district of Jordan. The proposed identification rests on the phonetic similarity between Kamon and Qamm and the site's location in the Gilead region consistent with the Judges narrative. The area lies in the fertile, well-watered highlands east of the Jordan Valley, a landscape of rolling hills covered with oak and pine forests. Archaeological surveys in the Ajloun region have documented numerous Iron Age sites, confirming substantial settlement during the period of the judges and the monarchy. However, no targeted excavation has been conducted at Qamm to confirm the identification with biblical Kamon. The broader Gilead region preserves extensive remains from the Bronze and Iron Ages, including tells, dolmen fields, and agricultural installations.
Verse Appearances (1)
Judg
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →