Golan
“Exile or circle”
Summary
A city of refuge in Bashan assigned to the Levites, which gave its name to the region of Gaulanitis.
☩City of Refuge
Golan was designated as one of the three cities of refuge east of the Jordan, assigned from the territory of Manasseh to provide asylum for those who killed unintentionally. It was also given to the Gershonite Levites as one of their dwelling places. Moses set apart Golan in Bashan for this sacred purpose before his death.
☩The Region of Gaulanitis
The city gave its name to the province of Gaulanitis (modern Jaulan), which formed part of Philip's tetrarchy in New Testament times. The region lay east of the Sea of Galilee and Jordan, bounded by Ituraea on the north and Hauran on the east. It was a fertile tableland with good pasturage, once densely populated but largely desolate by later centuries.
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Golan; Gaulonitis," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.John McClintock and James Strong, "Golan," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 3.George Morrish, "Golan," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Golan," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 5.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Golan," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).