Debir
“Oracle or sanctuary, possibly inner shrine”
Summary
A significant Canaanite city in the hill country of Judah conquered by Joshua and later by Othniel, also a personal name borne by several Old Testament figures.
☩The City
Debir was an important Canaanite royal city, formerly called Kirjath-sepher ('city of books') and Kirjath-sannah, suggesting it may have been a center of learning or scribal activity. Joshua captured it during his southern campaign after destroying Lachish and Eglon. The city was later taken again by Othniel, nephew of Caleb, who received Caleb's daughter Achsah as wife for his valor. Debir became a Levitical city assigned to the priests.
☩Location and Identification
Modern scholarship generally identifies Debir with Tell Beit Mirsim, about 12 miles southwest of Hebron. Archaeological excavations revealed it was a significant Bronze Age and Iron Age site, destroyed and rebuilt several times. The ancient name 'City of Books' has suggested to some that Debir was a repository of Canaanite records or religious texts before Israel's conquest.
Related Verses15 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Debir," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Debir," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Debir," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).