Jabneel
“God is builder”
Summary
The name of two towns in ancient Israel: one on the northern boundary of Judah near the Philistine coast, and another in the territory of Naphtali.
☩Jabneel of Judah
Jabneel in Judah was a town on the northern boundary near the Mediterranean, mentioned in connection with Ekron (Joshua 15:11). It is elsewhere called Jabneh (2 Chronicles 26:6) and was the scene of constant warfare between Judah and the Philistines. King Uzziah captured it and demolished its fortifications. After Jerusalem's fall, the Sanhedrin removed to Jabneel, and it became the seat of a great rabbinical school. It is now represented by the modern village of Yebna about 12-13 miles south of Jaffa.
☩Jabneel of Naphtali
A second Jabneel was a city on the border of Naphtali, mentioned in Joshua 19:33. It has been identified with the village Yemma, southwest of the Sea of Galilee, and may be identical with the Kefr Yama of the Talmud. Some scholars suggest it may be the same as the Jaminia mentioned by Josephus as lying in Upper Galilee.
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Jabneel; Jabneh," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Jabneel," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.John McClintock and James Strong, "Jabneel," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).