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What are the…
Cities of the Bible
names, descriptions, locations and types

The earliest mention of city-building is that of the pre-Flood city of Enoch, which was built by Cain, son of Adam (Genesis 4:17).

After the Flood and the confusion of tongues at Babel, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).

Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12, 19; 11:3, 9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22).

Damascus is said to be the oldest of the post-Flood cities still inhabited today.

Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Numbers 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the “treasure cities” of Pithom and Raamses (Exodus 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Genesis 46:34; 47:1-11).

In the kingdom of Og in Bashan there were sixty “great cities with walls,” and twenty-three cities in Gilead partly rebuilt by the tribes on the east of Jordan (Numbers 21:21, 32,33,35; 32:1-3, 34-42; Deuteronomy 3:4,5, 14; 1 Kings 4:13). On the west of Jordan were thirty-one “royal cities” (Joshua 12), besides many others spoken of in the history of Israel.

Fenced Cities

A fenced city was a city surrounded by fortifications and high walls, with watch-towers upon them (2 Chronicles 11:11; Deuteronomy 3:5). There was also within the city generally a tower to which the citizens might flee when danger threatened them (Judges 9:46-52).

Cities of Refuge

There were 6 cities of refuge, 3 on each side of Jordan, namely, Kadesh, Shechem, Hebron, on the west of Jordan; and on the east, Bezer, Ramoth-gilead, and Golan. The cities on each side of the river were nearly opposite each other. See: CITIES OF REFUGE

City of David

When David destroyed the fortress of the Jebusites which stood on Mount Zion, he built on the site a palace and a city, which he called by his own name (1 Chronicles 11:5), the city of David. Bethlehem is also so called as being David’s native town (Luke 2:4).

Holy City

Jerusalem is called the Holy City, the holiness of the temple being regarded as extending in some measure over the whole city (Neh. 11:1).

Treasure cities

Pithom and Raamses, built by the Israelites as “treasure cities,” were not places where royal treasures were kept, but were fortified towns where merchants might store their goods and transact their business in safety, or cities in which munitions of war were stored. (See PITHOM.)

Levitical cities (list)

  1. Ain
  2. Anathoth
  3. Anem
  4. Ayalon Valley (Ajalon, Aijalon , Aij'alon, Ayyalon)
  5. Beth-Shemesh
  6. Bethoron (Beth-Horon)
  7. Bezer
  8. Bosor
  9. Daberath
  10. Eshtemoa
  11. Geba
  12. Gezer
  13. Golan
  14. Heshbon (aka Hisban)
  15. Jarmuth
  16. Jazer (Numbers 32:1; 32:3; Joshua 13:25)
  17. Kartah
  18. Kedesh
  19. Kibzaim
  20. Mahanaim
  21. Nahalal (Nahalal)
  22. Ramoth-Gilead
  23. Shechem
  24. Taanach (Ta'anakh, Ti'inik, or Ti’innik)
  25. Jokneam (aka Jokneam Illit, Yokneam Illit, and Yokneam

List of Biblical cities

Also see: List of cities in the Tribe of Judah

  1. Abel-beth-maachah
  2. Abdon
  3. Accad (Akkad)
  4. Accho
  5. Acco
  6. Achmetha
  7. Achzib (Achziv)
  8. Achshaph
  9. Adam —miracle here
  10. Adamah —destroyed by God
  11. Adramyttium
  12. Adullam
  13. Aeolis
  14. Ai
  15. Aid-el-ma
  16. Aijalon
  17. Ajalon
  18. Akkad
  19. Alemeth
  20. Alexandria
  21. Almon
  22. Amphipolis
  23. Anab
  24. Ananiah
  25. Anathoth
  26. Anem
  27. Aner
  28. Anim
  29. Antioch
  30. Antipatris
  31. Aphek
  32. Aphik
  33. Apollonia
  34. Ar
  35. Arab
  36. Arad
  37. Archi
  38. Arimathea
  39. Aroer
  40. Arpad
  41. Arphad
  42. Arvad
  43. Ascalon
  44. Ashdod
  45. Ashkelon
  46. Askelon
  47. Ashtaroth
  48. Ashterah
  49. Asshur
  50. Ataroth
  51. Athens
  52. Azekah
  53. Azem (Josh. 15:29; 19:3)
  54. Baal
  55. Baalbec
  56. Baal-gad
  57. Baal-hazor
  58. Baal-hermon
  59. Baalah
  60. Baale of Judah
  61. Babel
  62. Babylon—miracle here
  63. Baghdad
  64. Bajith
  65. Balah
  66. Bashan havoth jair
  67. Beeroth
  68. Beersheba
  69. Bela
  70. Berea
  71. Betah
  72. Beth-anath
  73. Beth-anoth
  74. Beth-arabah
  75. Beth-dagon
  76. Beth-diblathaim
  77. Beth-gamul
  78. Beth-hoglah, a city of the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:20-24)
  79. Bethshan
  80. Beth-Omri
  81. Beth-shean
  82. Beth-shemesh
  83. Bethel
  84. Bethsaida
  85. Bethuel
  86. Bethlehem—miracles here, birthplace of David and Jesus Christ
  87. Bezer
  88. Bozrah
  89. Cabul
  90. Caesara Philippi
  91. Caesarea
  92. Calah
  93. Calneh
  94. Camon
  95. Capernaum—miracles here
  96. Carchemish
  97. Cenchrea
  98. Chephirah
  99. Chesulloth
  100. Chinnereth
  101. Chisloth-Tabor
  102. Chor-ashan
  103. Chorazin
  104. Chun
  105. Cinnereth
  106. The City of Salt
  107. The City of Palm Trees
  108. Colossae
  109. Corinth
  110. Cuthah
  111. Cyrene
  112. Damascus
  113. Dannah
  114. Debir
  115. Diblathaim
  116. Dibon
  117. Dimnah
  118. Dinhabah
  119. Diospolis
  120. Dor
  121. Dothan
  122. Ecbatana
  123. Eder
  124. Edrei
  125. Eglon
  126. Egyptian cities
  127. Elath
  128. Emek-keziz, a city of the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:20-24)
  129. Elon
  130. Eltekeh
  131. Eltolad (Joshua 15:30; 19:4)
  132. En-gannim
  133. Enoch—first city (antediluvian)
  134. Ephah
  135. Ephesus
  136. Ephratah
  137. Ephrath
  138. Erech
  139. Eshtemoa
  140. Etam
  141. Ezion-geber
  142. Gadara
  143. Gath
  144. Gath-rimmon
  145. Gaulanitisrefuge
  146. Gaza
  147. Geba
  148. Gebal
  149. Gedor
  150. Gennesaret
  151. Gezer
  152. Gibbethon
  153. Gibeah of Judah
  154. Gibeah of Phinehas
  155. Gibeon
  156. Giloh
  157. Gimzo
  158. Gittite
  159. Golanrefuge
  160. Gomorrah—destroyed by God
  161. Hadashah
  162. Hammath
  163. Hammon
  164. Hammoth-dor
  165. Haran
  166. Harosheth of the Gentiles
  167. Hazar-gaddah
  168. Hazar-shual
  169. Hazar-susah
  170. Hazor
  171. Hazor-hadattah
  172. Hebron
  173. Heleph
  174. Heliopolis of Egypt
  175. Heliopolis of Syria
  176. Hena
  177. Hepher
  178. Heshbon
  179. Hierapolis
  180. Horem
  181. Horonaim
  182. Ibleam
  183. Iconium
  184. Idalah
  185. Iim
  186. Ijon
  187. Iksal
  188. Irha-heres
  189. Ivah
  190. Jaazer
  191. Jabesh-Gilead
  192. Jabneel
  193. Jagur
  194. Janoah
  195. Jano’hah
  196. Jarmuth
  197. Jattir
  198. Jazer (Numbers 32:1; 32:3; Joshua 13:25)
  199. Jebus
  200. Jericho—miracle here
  201. Jerusalem—miracles here
  202. Jeshanah
  203. Jeshua
  204. Jethlah
  205. Jokdeam
  206. Jokmeam
  207. Jokneam
  208. Joktheel
  209. Joppa
  210. Juttah—birthplace of John the Baptist
  211. Kabzeel
  212. Kadesh
  213. Kartah
  214. Kartan
  215. Kedemoth
  216. Kedesh
  217. Keilah
  218. Kenath
  219. Kerioth
  220. Keziz
  221. Kibzaim
  222. Kinah
  223. Kir-haraseth
  224. Kir
  225. Kirjath-arba
  226. Kirjath-huzoth
  227. Kirjath-jearim
  228. Kirjath-sannah
  229. Kirjath-sepher
  230. Kirjath
  231. Kirjathaimrefuge
  232. Kishion
  233. Kitron
  234. Laban
  235. Lachish
  236. Laish
  237. Laodicea
  238. Lasaea
  239. Lebaoth (Josh. 15:32)
  240. Libnah
  241. Lod
  242. Ludd
  243. Luz
  244. Lydda
  245. Lystra
  246. Madmen
  247. Madon
  248. Magdala
  249. Mahanaim
  250. Makkedah
  251. Maktesh
  252. Mareshah
  253. Medeba
  254. Megiddo
  255. Memphis
  256. MephaathLevitical
  257. Middin
  258. Migdal-el
  259. Mishal
  260. Mitylene
  261. Mizpah
  262. Moladah
  263. Mozah
  264. Naamah
  265. Nahallal
  266. Naim
  267. Nain, a town in Galilee
  268. Nazareth
  269. Neapolis
  270. Nein
  271. Nibshan
  272. Nicopolis
  273. Nimrah
  274. Nin
  275. Nineveh
  276. No
  277. NobLevitical
  278. Nobah
  279. Noph
  280. Nophah
  281. On
  282. Open place
  283. Ophni
  284. Ophrah
  285. Pai
  286. Palestinae
  287. Patara
  288. Pau
  289. Pelusium
  290. Penuel—miracle here
  291. Pergamos
  292. Pethor
  293. Petra
  294. Philadelphia
  295. Philippi
  296. Pithom
  297. Ptolemais
  298. Puteoli
  299. Raamses
  300. Rabbah
  301. Rakkath
  302. Rama (Ramah)
  303. RamothLevitical
  304. Ramoth-gilead —a cities of refuge
  305. Rehob
  306. Rehoboth
  307. Rehov
  308. Resen
  309. Rimmon
  310. Rome
  311. Salamis
  312. Salcah
  313. Sardis
  314. Secacah
  315. Seleucia
  316. Sepharvaim
  317. Shaaraim
  318. Shalem
  319. Shalem
  320. Shechem
  321. Shiloh
  322. Shimron-meron
  323. Shimron
  324. Sichem
  325. Sidon
  326. Sin
  327. Sippara
  328. Smyrna
  329. Socho
  330. Sodom—destroyed by God
  331. Succoth
  332. Taanach
  333. Tanis (called Zoan)
  334. Tadmor
  335. Tahapanes
  336. Tappuah
  337. Tarsus
  338. Thebez
  339. Tekoa
  340. Thessalonica
  341. Thyatira
  342. Tiberias
  343. Tibhath
  344. Timna
  345. Timnath-serah
  346. Tirza
  347. Troas
  348. Tyre
  349. Ur
  350. Uzal
  351. Xaloth
  352. Zareah
  353. Zarethan (a.k.a. Zaretan, Zartanah, Zarthan and Zeredathah, Zeredah) (see: Joshua 3:16; 1 Kings 4:12; 7:46; 2 Chronicles 4:17)
  354. Zareth-shahar
  355. Zeboim—destroyed by God
  356. Zeboim
  357. Zidon
  358. Zior
  359. Ziph
  360. Ziphron
  361. Zoan
  362. Zoreah

Suburbs

A city with suburbs was a city surrounded with open pasture-grounds, such as the forty-eight cities which were given to the Levites (Numbers 35:2-7).

Things in cities

More information

Article Version: June 10, 2024