Middin
Middin is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Abu Tabaq. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Middin appears in a single verse, Joshua 15:61, where it is listed among six cities allocated to the tribe of Judah in the wilderness district. The complete list reads: "In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi." These six settlements formed Judah's administrative district in the barren region west of the Dead Sea, an area characterized by rugged terrain and sparse rainfall. While no narrative events are recorded at Middin, its inclusion in the tribal allotment demonstrates that even the most inhospitable regions of the Promised Land were carefully distributed among God's people. The wilderness district played a strategic role in controlling access routes along the Dead Sea and guarding Judah's eastern frontier. The settlement of these remote areas reflects the Israelites' determination to occupy the full extent of their promised inheritance, fulfilling Joshua's charge to possess the land that God had given them and establishing a presence even in the harsh Judean wilderness.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Middin has been identified by many scholars with Khirbet Abu Tabaq, located in the Buqei'ah Valley (Valley of Achor) in the Judean wilderness west of the Dead Sea. Frank Moore Cross and J.T. Milik surveyed the Buqei'ah in the 1950s and identified three Iron Age fortified settlements there, including Khirbet Abu Tabaq. The site revealed remains of a rectangular fortified enclosure with casemate walls dating to the Iron Age II period (roughly 8th-7th centuries BC). The presence of agricultural installations and water collection systems indicates that these settlements supported small farming communities in an otherwise arid environment. The proximity to Qumran has also drawn scholarly interest regarding later occupation.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →