Joshua 15:1-63

Here is the land allotted to the families of the tribe of Judah: Their territory extended southward to the Wilderness of Zin, which belonged to Edom. Their boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea, crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued to Zin, and went on south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it went past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka, continued to Azmon and followed the stream on the border of Egypt in a northwesterly direction to the Mediterranean Sea. That is the southern border of all the tribes of Israel. The Dead Sea formed the eastern border of Judah, and its territory lay to the west toward the Mediterranean Sea. Their northern border began there and went up to Beth Hoglah and continued north of the ridge overlooking the Jordan Valley. From there it went up to the Stone of Bohan, named after Bohan, Reuben’s son. The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turned north to Gilgal, which faces Adummim Pass south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel. Then the boundary ran through the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of Jebus (now known as Jerusalem). From there it went to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaites. It continued from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the town of Mount Ephron and on to Baalah, which today is called Kiriath Jearim. It then turned west from Baalah to Mount Seir and ran along the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), descended to the city of Beth Shemesh, and crossed to the city of Timnah. The border then went north to the ridge of the city of Ekron, turned toward the city of Shikkeron, crossed to Mount Baalah, and came out at the city of Jamnia. The border ended at the southern end of the Dead Sea. The western boundary was the Mediterranean coastline. This was the territory that belonged to the families of the tribe of Judah. YAHWEH had commanded Joshua, “Give a share of the territory from the tribe of Judah to Caleb son of Jephunneh.” So Joshua gave him the city of Hebron which was founded by Arba, the ancestor of Anak. Caleb drove out three Anakim from Hebron: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai—descendants of Anak. From Hebron, he marched out and fought against the people of Debir, which used to be called Kiriath Sepher. Caleb once promised, “Whoever succeeds in capturing Kiriath Sepher may marry my daughter Achsah.” Caleb’s nephew Othniel, the son of his brother Kenaz, took the city, so Caleb gave him the hand of his daughter Achsah in marriage. One day, Achsah came and charmed her father so that she could ask him for a gift. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like for a wedding present?” “Father,” she replied, “give me a special gift. You have already given me land, but it’s in arid country. Please, also give me some springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs near the city of Hebron. These are the cities given as an inheritance to the families of the tribe of Judah. The cities of the first district in the extreme south near the border of Edom included Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), Amam, Shema, Moladah, Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, Baalah, Iyyim, Ezem, Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—a total of twenty-nine towns and their villages. The cities of the second district in the western foothills included Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim) —fourteen towns and their villages. The cities of the third district included Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen towns and their villages. The cities of the fourth district included Libnah, Ether, Ashan, Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah—nine towns and their villages. The cities of the fifth district included Ekron, with its surrounding settlements and villages; from Ekron westward, all the towns in the vicinity of Ashdod, together with their villages; Ashdod, and its surrounding settlements and villages; and Gaza, its settlements and villages, as far south as the Wadi of Egypt and as far west as the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. The cities of the sixth district in the Judean hills included Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven towns and their villages. The cities of the seventh district included Arab, Dumah, Eshan, Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine towns and their villages. The cities of the eighth district included Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten towns and their villages. The cities of the ninth district included Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon—six towns and their villages. The cities of the tenth district included Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah—two towns and their villages. The desert cities of the eleventh district included Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi—six towns and their villages. The people of Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem, and they live among the people of Judah to this day.