Rimmon (1)
The Rock of Rimmon
The most dramatic appearance of Rimmon in Scripture is the rock where the surviving warriors of the tribe of Benjamin fled after their catastrophic defeat in the civil war described in Judges 20. After the outrage at Gibeah provoked all Israel to war against Benjamin, the fighting resulted in the near-total destruction of the tribe. Only 600 men survived, and they "turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months" (Judges 20:45, 47). When Israel later relented and sought to preserve the tribe from extinction, messengers were sent to the rock of Rimmon to proclaim peace (Judges 21:13). The site has been identified with a prominent conical hill about six miles north-northeast of ancient Gibeah, where a village called Rummon still stands.
Rimmon in the Negev
A city named Rimmon was located in the southern Negev desert, near the border of Edom. It was assigned to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:32) and later given to the tribe of Simeon, whose territory was carved from Judah's allotment (Joshua 19:7; 1 Chronicles 4:32). In Zechariah 14:10, Rimmon serves as a geographical marker for the extreme southern boundary of Judah: "The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem." This pairing of Geba (in the north) with Rimmon (in the south) encompasses the full extent of the kingdom. In Nehemiah 11:29, the same location appears to be called En-rimmon, combining the nearby spring with the town name.
Rimmon in Zebulun
A third Rimmon was a border town of the tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 19:13), later assigned to the Levites (1 Chronicles 6:77). This settlement has been identified with the modern village of Rummaneh, located on a low ridge south of the marshy plain of el-Battauf in the Galilee region. Archaeological features at the site include rock-cut tombs and cisterns, indicating significant ancient occupation. This Rimmon lies approximately four miles north of el-Mesh-hed, generally considered the site of Gath-hepher, the hometown of the prophet Jonah.
Saul and the Pomegranate Tree
An intriguing connection to Rimmon appears in 1 Samuel 14:2, where Saul is described as sitting "in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree." Some scholars have connected this pomegranate tree with the rock of Rimmon from Judges 20, suggesting they may refer to the same landmark. Saul was accompanied by about 600 men — the same number as the Benjamite refugees — which may be more than coincidence, possibly reflecting the preserved military tradition of the tribe that had once nearly perished.
The Name and Its Significance
The name Rimmon means "pomegranate" in Hebrew, reflecting the prominence of this fruit in the agriculture and symbolism of ancient Israel. Pomegranates adorned the hem of the high priest's robe (Exodus 28:33-34) and decorated the pillars of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:18, 20). The repeated use of this name for various locations suggests that pomegranate trees or orchards were a distinguishing feature of these sites. The pomegranate was one of the seven species that characterized the bounty of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 8:8).
Biblical Context
The rock of Rimmon appears in Judges 20:45-47 and 21:13 as the refuge of the surviving Benjamites. The southern Rimmon is mentioned in Joshua 15:32; 19:7; 1 Chronicles 4:32; Zechariah 14:10; and Nehemiah 11:29. The Zebulunite Rimmon appears in Joshua 19:13 and 1 Chronicles 6:77. A possible connection exists with the pomegranate tree in 1 Samuel 14:2. The name also appears as a pagan deity (Rimmon of Damascus) in 2 Kings 5:18, which refers to a different entity entirely.
Theological Significance
The rock of Rimmon represents divine preservation even in the midst of judgment — the near-destruction of Benjamin was tempered by the survival of a remnant, a pattern that recurs throughout biblical history. The tribe of Benjamin, preserved at Rimmon, would later produce Israel's first king (Saul) and the apostle Paul. The geographical use of Rimmon as a boundary marker in Zechariah's vision speaks to God's comprehensive restoration of the entire land in the messianic age.
Historical Background
The rock of Rimmon has been identified by Edward Robinson with a prominent conical hill bearing the village of Rummon, about six miles north-northeast of Jeba (ancient Gibeah). Eusebius and Jerome described it as 15 Roman miles from Jerusalem. An alternative identification places the Benjamite refuge in the caves of Wady Suweinit near Gibeah. The southern Rimmon (En-rimmon) has been identified with archaeological sites in the northern Negev. The Zebulunite Rimmon is located at modern Rummaneh in the Galilee, where rock-cut tombs and cisterns attest to ancient occupation.