Joshua's Cities of Conquest
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| JOSHUA’S CITIES OF CONQUEST | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CITY | SCRIPTURE | OCCUPANTS | COMMENTS |
| Gilgal | 4:19-5:15 | Unoccupied? | No battle; became worship center |
| Jericho | 6:1-27 | Canaanites | Rahab spared; oldest walled city; Achan sinned. |
| Ai | 7:1-8:29 | Amorites | Israel defeated because of Achan’s sin; Ai means “ruin.” |
| Shechem | 8:30-35; chap. 24 | Hivites (Gn 38); patriarchs; | Not conquered; became worship center; relatives of Israel |
| Gibeon; Chephirah; Beeroth; Kiriath-jearim | 9:1-10:27 | Hivites (Gn 38); patriarchs; | Entered covenant with Israel to be servants at worship place |
| Jerusalem | 10:1-27 | Jebusites | Part of coalition Joshua defeated but city not conquered |
| Hebron | 10:1, 36-37 | Amorites, but in patriarchal times Hethites; also home of Anakim (11:21) | Coalition partner whose city was destroyed; patriarchal city (Gn 13:18); given to Caleb (14:9-13); city of refuge (20:7) |
| Jarmuth | 10:1-27 | Amorites | Coalition partner |
| Lachish | 10:1-27,31-32 | Amorites | Coalition partner whose city was destroyed |
| Eglon | 10:1-27,34-35 | Amorites | Coalition partner whose city was destroyed |
| Makkedah | 10:16-17,28 | ? | Scene of battle with coalition |
| Libnah | 10:29-30 | ? | Levitical city (21:13) |
| Gezer | 10:33 | Canaanites | Old, large city whose king Joshua defeated; city not occupied |
| Debir | 10:38-39 | Amorites; home of Anakim (11:21) | Captured by Joshua and Othniel (15:17); Levitical city (21:15); name of King of Eglon (10:3) |
| Hazor | 11:1-15 | Canaanites | Largest city in Canaan; ancient history; head of northern coalition; destroyed by Joshua |
| Madon | 11:1 | ? | Northern coalition partner Joshua defeated; Greek Septuagint calls it Meron; compare Waters of Merom |
| Shimron | 11:1 | ? | Has various spellings in mss; appears in ancient Egyptian sources |
| Achshaph | 11:1 | ? | Means “place of sorcery”; mentioned in ancient Egyptian sources |
| Geder | 12:13 | ? | Mystery city unknown elsewhere; sometimes seen as scribe’s notation for city of longer name |
| Hormah | 12:14 | ? | Southern border city (Nm 14:45); defeated by Simeon and Judah (Jdg 1:1,17) |
| Arad | 12:14 | Canaanites | Defeated by Moses (Nm 21:1-3) and named Hormah; occupied by Kenites ( Jdg 1:16-17) |
| Adullam | 12:15 | ? | Patriarchal ties (Gn 38) |
| Bethel | 12:16 | ? | Strong patriarchal ties (Gn 12:8,35); means, “house of God”; associated with Ai (7:2); House of Joseph defeated it (Jdg 1:22-25). |
| Tappuah | 12:17 | ? | Border city between Ephraim and Manasseh (16:8; 17:7-8) |
| Hepher | 12:17 | ? | Name of a clan in Manasseh (17:12; cp. Nm 26:28-37) |
| Aphek | 12:18 | ? | In ancient Egyptian sources (cp. 1Sm 4:1, 29:1) |
| Lasharon | 12:18 | ? | Unusual Hebrew construction; means, “of Sharon”; may modify Aphek |
| Taanach | 12:21 | Canaanites | In ancient Egyptian sources; Levitical city (21:25); Manasseh could not occupy it (Jdg 1:27). |
| Megiddo | 12:21 | Canaanites | Major ancient city guarding military pass; in Egyptian sources; Manasseh could not (Jdg 1:27) |
| Kedesh | 12:22 | ? | City of refuge (20:7); Levitical city (21:32); home of Barak (Jdg 4:6) |
| Jokneam | 12:22 | ? | Also spelled Jokmeam; Levitical city (21:34); in Egyptian sources |
| Dor | 12:23; cp. 11:2 | Associated with sea peoples | Manasseh could not occupy (17:11-13; Jdg 1:27) in Egyptian records |
| Goiim in Gilgal | 12:23 | Name means “nations” | Compare Gn 14:1; uncertain scribal reading in text; appears to be in Galilee |
| Tirzah | 12:24 | Canaanites | Ancient city; became capital of Israel (1Kg 14:17); see Sg 6:4. |