Maacah
Maacah is a region mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tel Abel Beth Maacah. It appears across 8 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Maacah (also spelled Maacath) was a small Aramean kingdom located at the base of Mount Hermon, on Israel's northeastern frontier. It first appears during Moses' division of the Transjordanian territories, where the region of the Geshurites and Maacathites is mentioned in connection with the half-tribe of Manasseh's inheritance (Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 12:5; 13:11-13). Significantly, Joshua records that Israel did not drive out the inhabitants of Geshur and Maacah, who continued dwelling among the Israelites (Joshua 13:13). During David's wars, the king of Maacah allied with the Ammonites against Israel, contributing a thousand soldiers, but was defeated by Joab's forces (2 Samuel 10:6-8; 1 Chronicles 19:6-7). The region later became associated with Abel Beth-Maacah, a city of wisdom in Israel where a wise woman negotiated with Joab to end Sheba's rebellion by delivering Sheba's head over the wall (2 Samuel 20:14-22). Maacah thus represents both the challenges of incomplete conquest and the complex political landscape of Israel's northern borders.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The region of Maacah is associated with the upper Jordan Valley and the foothills of Mount Hermon in northern Israel. Tel Abel Beth Maacah, the site most closely linked with this region, has been under excavation since 2012 by a joint team from Hebrew University and Azusa Pacific University led by Nava Panitz-Cohen and Robert Mullins. Remarkable discoveries include a ninth-century BCE faience head, possibly depicting a king, and evidence of a prosperous Iron Age city with connections to both Israelite and Aramean material culture. The site's strategic position at the junction of three ancient kingdoms (Israel, Aram-Damascus, and Phoenicia) confirms its role as a contested border region described in the biblical narratives.
Verse Appearances (8)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →