Chapter Twelve

A listing of the Canaanite kings defeated under Moses and Joshua son of Nun.

Joshua 12:1. Here are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and whose land they took as an inheritance on the east side of the Jordan, from the Arnon stream to Mount Hermon, and all the plain to the east: The territories of the east-of-Jordan kings conquered by the Israelites extended from the Arnon stream, which served as the southern border of the Amorite kingdom (Num 21:13) to Mount Hermon, which forms the southern projection of the Anti-Lebanon and was called Sion among the Israelites (Deut 4:48). By “the entire plain to the east” is meant the plateau on the east side of the Jordan, called in modern times El-Ghor.

Joshua 12:2. Sihon, king of the Amorites, dwelling in Heshbon, who ruled from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon stream, and from the middle of the stream, half of Gilead, to the Jabbok stream, the border of the Ammonites, Regarding Heshbon (in Hebrew Cheshbon) see Num 21:25. The city of Aroer, which later belonged to the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9), stood on the northern side of the Arnon stream, where ruins from it remain, bearing the name Arar. “And from the middle of the stream.” The Hebrew word for this in the original text is “hanachal,” which means not only “stream” but also “valley,” or what is called in Palestine a “wadi,” serving as the streambed during the rainy season and then drying up; this meaning is also given to the word in the Greek-Slavonic translation: κατὰ μέρος τῆς φάραγγος – “from the region of the chasm.” In this middle of the valley, as is evident from Josh 13:9, Deut 2:36 (where the same expression is used with the addition of the Hebrew “hagir,” rendered in the LXX as ἡ πόλις – “the city”), there stood a city called Ar-Moab (Num 21:15-28), which together with Aror marked the southern border of Sihon’s kingdom. Regarding the Jabbok stream, see Num 21:24. Regarding the Sea of Kinnereth, see Josh 11:2.

Joshua 12:3. and the plain to the Sea of Kinnereth on the east, and to the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, on the east by the way to Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south by the foothills of Pisgah; The city of Beth-jeshimoth was located on the east side of the northern extremity of the “sea of the plain,” that is, the Dead Sea; according to Eusebius, Βηθασυμουθ, as it is named here, stood at a distance of 10 Roman miles (about 14 versts) from Jericho; its location is indicated in the ruins of Suweimeh. To the south of it rises Mount Pisgah.

Joshua 12:4. the other being Og, king of Bashan, the last of the Rephaim, who dwelt in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, Regarding Ashtaroth see Gen 14:5, where it is called Ashteroth-karnaim. Edrei, according to Eusebius (Αδραα), stood at a distance of 6 Roman miles from Ashtaroth; its location is indicated in the southeast of Ashtaroth in present-day Deraat with substantial ruins.

Joshua 12:5. who ruled over Mount Hermon and Salcah and all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and half of Gilead, to the border of Sihon, king of Heshbon. Salcah, in the Greek manuscripts Σεκχαι, Σελχα. Selkha, in modern times Selkhad, about 4–5 hours’ journey east from Bosra in the Hauran. Bashan was the northern part of the east-of-Jordan region or Gilead, extending from south to north from the Jabbok stream (Deut 3:15) to Hermon, namely “to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites,” which are understood to be districts on the east and west sides of Hermon (Raumer. Palastina), and from east to west from Salcah (Deut 3:10) to the Sea of Kinnereth (Josh 13:27), that is, Lake Gennesaret.

Joshua 12:7. And here are the kings of the [Amorite] land, whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on this side of the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Halak, a mountain that stretches toward Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as an inheritance according to their divisions, Joshua 12:8. on the mountains, in the lowlands, on the plain, in the regions of the hills, and in the wilderness, and in the south—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: See Josh 11:17.

Joshua 12:9. one king of Jericho, one king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, Joshua 12:10. one king of Jerusalem, one king of Hebron, Joshua 12:11. one king of Jarmuth, one king of Lachish, Joshua 12:12. one king of Eglon, one king of Gezer, Josh 6:1.

Joshua 12:13. one king of Debir, one king of Geder, Joshua 12:14. one king of Hormah, one king of Arad, Regarding the defeat of the three kings named here—Geder, Hormah, and Arad—the biblical writer had not spoken before, see the remark to Josh 11:21-23 regarding the incompleteness of the narrative of Joshua’s conquests. The location of Geder has not been determined with certainty. Hormah (in the Greek manuscripts Ἐρμαθ, Ἐρμα), which was called Zephath among the Canaanites (Judg 1:17), was located in the inheritance of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:30), but later belonged to Simeon (Josh 19:4). According to research (especially by Palmer), it was located at the place of extensive ruins called Sebaita in the southern part of Palestine, on the west side of the Azazimeh mountains, about 30 versts north of Kadesh-Barnea (Josh 10:41). Regarding Arad—see Expository Bible, vol. I, 244–245.

Joshua 12:15. one king of Libnah, one king of Adullam, Regarding the city of Libnah—see Josh 10:29. Adullam, according to Josh 15:35, was located in the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, specifically in the lowland (Josh 15:33), and thus to the west of the mountains of that tribe, where Lachish (Josh 15:39) and Makkedah (Josh 15:41) were located. In the First (1 Sam 22:1) and Second (2 Sam 23:13) books of Kings is related a peculiarity of the city or region bearing this same name—that here was found the Cave of Adullam, in which David hid after his flight from the Gittite king and during his pursuit by Saul. To these biblical indications corresponds the village of Deir Dubban, about 2 hours’ journey from Eleutheropolis (Josh 10:29), near which in the limestone hills there are very many caves that could have served as a refuge for David when he fled from Gath, which was located not far from this region (Josh 11:22). This view of the location of Adullam mentioned in this place, however, is questioned by some because in the indicated passage in the Second Book of Kings the Cave of Adullam appears to be located not far from Bethlehem. Two hours’ journey from the latter, in the village and valley of Hareitun, there is indeed a whole series of caves connected to one another by passages. Some identify Adullam with these Hareitun caves, mentioned in the Book of Joshua. In Russian literature, the view of the Cave of Adullam as located near Bethlehem is accepted by Professor A.A. Olesnitskii. However, the predominant view among researchers of the biblical geography of Palestine remains that the city of Adullam, according to Josh 15:35, was located in the Shephelah lowland, on the west side of the mountains of Judah.

Joshua 12:16. one king of Makkedah, one king of Bethel, Regarding Makkedah and Bethel see Josh 8:17.

Joshua 12:17. one king of Tappuah, one king of Hepher. Regarding the defeat of the kings of the cities named here, nothing is said in Josh 10 and Josh 11, and the locations of the cities are not precisely determined. Regarding Tappuah (in the Greek manuscripts Ταφουγ, Απφου), it is known only from Josh 15:34-35 that it was located in the lowland, to the west of the mountains of the tribe of Judah, in the region where Jarmuth (Josh 10:5) was located. Hepher (in the Greek manuscripts Οφερ) appears only in 1 Kgs 4:10, where the land of Hepher is named alongside Socoh, which was in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:35).

Joshua 12:18. One king of Aphek, one king of Sharon, Cities named Aphek, meaning “fortress,” are mentioned repeatedly in other places in the Book of Joshua and other Old Testament books (Josh 13:4; Judg 1:31; 1 Sam 4:1), but which of these same-named cities is meant in this place of the Book of Joshua and where it was located remains unclear. Sharon (in Hebrew Lasharon, in some later Greek manuscripts Λεσαρον) is not mentioned elsewhere in the sacred books, and its location is unknown.

Joshua 12:19. one king of Madon, one king of Hazor, Joshua 12:20. one king of Shimron-Meron, one king of Achshaph, See Josh 11:1.

Joshua 12:21. one king of Taanach, one king of Megiddo, Taanach was located in the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar but belonged to Manasseh (Josh 17:11); it was situated at the place of the present-day village of Ta’anuk in the Jezreel valley. Megiddo, by the Hebrew text Megiddo, in the Greek manuscripts Μεγιδδων, was also in the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar but belonged to Manasseh (Josh 17:11). It was located near Taanach, as shown by the repeated mention of it alongside the latter (Judg 5:19, 1 Kgs 4:12 and others). Its location is indicated to the north of Taanach at the place of ruins located on two hills called Lejjun. Some (Conder), however, place Megiddo at Medjedheh, near Beth-shan, considerably to the east of the Jezreel valley, which is considered less probable.

Joshua 12:22. one king of Kedesh, one king of Jokneam at Carmel, Kedesh, later belonging to the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:37), was distinguished from other cities bearing the same name and was called Kedesh in Galilee. It was located to the west of Lake Merom. The small village existing at its location, with remains of antiquity among which the tomb of Barak is indicated (Judg 4:6), has preserved the ancient name to this day. Jokneam at Carmel (according to the Greek manuscripts Ἰεκοναμ τοῦ Χερμελ, in the Slavonic Bible Jekonam of Khermel) was located in the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun (Josh 21:34) and was situated near a stream (Josh 19:11). Its location is identified with Tell-el-Keimun, as a high hill covered with ruins is called, on the southeastern side of Carmel, near the Kishon stream.

Joshua 12:23. one king of Dor at Naphath-dor, one king of Goim in Gilgal, Regarding Dor at Naphath-dor see the commentary to Josh 11:2. The location of the Gilgal mentioned here, as this name is read in the Hebrew text, is indicated in the present-day village of Galgulus, which, according to Eusebius, was located 6 Roman miles to the north of Antipatris in the Sharon plain. The fact that in the ancient Vatican manuscript this name is rendered as Γαλιλαίας – “Galilee,” does not undermine the correctness of the name transmitted by the Hebrew text, given that the latter appears in the majority of Greek manuscripts, as well as in the translation of the blessed Jerome (rex gentrum Galgal – “the king of the nations of Galgal”). The testimony of the Greek manuscripts is important here in the sense that it confirms the understanding of the Hebrew word “goim” (meaning as a common noun “nations”) as a proper name, which was borne by this king.

Joshua 12:24. one king of Tirzah. In all, thirty-one kings. Where Tirzah (in the Greek manuscripts Θαρσα), which was the capital of Jeroboam, a name meaning “beauty,” was located is not known with certainty; most often its location is identified with the present-day village of Talluzah, about 2 hours’ journey to the northeast of Nablus, distinguished by a beautiful location. According to the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts, the number of all defeated kings, instead of 31 as in the Hebrew text, is read as 29, which occurred because in these manuscripts the king of Makkedah (Josh 12:16) and the king of Sharon (Josh 12:18) are not mentioned; the number 29 (in Old Church Slavonic кf) was found in the ancient Slavonic translation. In the later Greek manuscripts and the editions based on them (the Complutensian and Aldine), with which the present Slavonic translation agrees, the number 29 was changed to 31 in accord with the Hebrew text. * * * “The Holy Land,” 2:94–95. This name of the city is adopted, it may be supposed, in accord with the translation of the blessed Jerome: rех Saron unus. The Hebrew name Lasharon, beginning with the syllable “la,” meaning “to,” arouses suspicion among Hebraists, whose resolution they find in the corresponding reading of the Vatican manuscript βασιλέια Αφεκ τῆς Αρωκ, with the help of which they correct the present reading of the Hebrew text and recognize “Lasharon” as a word composed of “la”—“to” and “sharon,” as the Sharon plain was called. Thus, Josh 12 gains the meaning “the king of Aphek in Sharon” (Dillmann). According to the Vatican manuscript, the second half of Josh 12 is read as βασιλέια Γεὲι τῆς Γαλειλαίας; according to the Alexandrian—Γωείμ Γεγεα. Professor Olesnitskii does not recognize the identification of Tirzah with Talluzah as correct; according to his supposition, the capital of Jeroboam was located at the place of present-day Khirbat Tibneh (“Holy Land,” II, 325–327). Regarding Khirbat Tibneh see Josh 19:50. Lebedev. 194, 348.