What is…
En-gannim

also known as: Engannim, En Gannim, Ein Ganim, Beth Hagan

Hebrew: עֵין גַּנִּים —transliteration: En Gannim —meaning: spring of gardens, or fountain of gardens, or the spring of Ganim

This is the name of 2 ancient Israelite cities, one of which is still prospering.

  1. En-gannim, a Levitical city in the Tribe of Issachar

    also known as: Ginah, Ginae, Jenin

    This city was on the border of Machar (Joshua 19:21), allotted to the Gershonite Levites (21:29).

    When Ahaziah, king of Judah, attempted to escape from Jehu, he “fled by the way of the garden house” i.e., by way of En-gannim. Here he was overtaken by Jehu and wounded in his chariot, and turned aside and fled to Megiddo, a distance of about 20 miles, to die there.

    En-gannim is identified with the modern Jenin, a location with abundant springs, gardens, and orchards that fits the name perfectly. Today it is a large and prosperous city situated 15 miles south of Mount Tabor, through which the road from Jezreel to Samaria and Jerusalem passes.

    Jenin, Israel—satellite view

    Samaritans at En-Gannim

    At the time of Christ, it was settled exclusively by Samaritans. Jews from Galilee passed through it on their annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

    Bible scholar Frederic W. Farrar suggested that this place may be the Samaritan town which rejected the disciples of Jesus as described in the Gospel of Luke.

    On the way to Judaea from Galilee He would doubtless avoid Nazareth, and therefore His road probably lay over Mount Tabor, past Little Hermon (see Luke 7:11), past Nain, Enaor, and Shunem. The first Samaritan village at which He would arrive would be En Gannim (Fountain of Gardens), now Jenin (2 Kings 9:27), a pleasant village at the first pass into the Samaritan hills. The inhabitants are still described as “fanatical, rude, and rebellious” (Thomson, Land and Book, II. xxx.). —Frederic W. Farrar, Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, Luke 9 comments section

    Now it happened that when the days for Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village. —Luke 9:51-56

    Jenin is in modern northern Samaria. Sources like the Jewish Virtual Library, various Israeli media, and government references describe Jenin as “an Arab town in Samaria”—the northernmost major Palestinian city in the West Bank.

    Archaeology

    Tell Jenin (aka ell el-Nawar) is believed to be the ruins of the original En-gannim. This archaeological mound dates to the late Neolithic and the early Chalcolithic. This place was mentioned in the 14th century BC Amarna letters. At the time, it was a vassal state of Egypt. The strong identification of En-gannim with Jenin underscores the reliability of biblical geography in this region—names and features persisting for millennia. It highlights Issachar’s role in fertile valleys suited for agriculture (fitting its “farmer tribe” traditions).

    The evidence supports En-gannim’s existence as a real, inhabited place in the biblical period, but it is not a heavily excavated “showcase” site like others in the Jezreel vicinity. Political dynamics in the area have affected archaeological access.

  2. En-gannim of Judah

    A town in the plains of the Tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:34), northwest of Jerusalem, between Zanoah and Tappuah.

    It was located in the Shephelah/lowland of southern/central Judah, grouped with nearby towns like Zanoah (modern Khirbet Zanu`), Eshtaol, Tappuah, and others mentioned in Joshua 15:33–35. This is not a Levitical city, and it appears only in this Judah allotment list.

    It was lkely near modern sites such as Khirbet Umm Jina or Beit Jimal, close to Beth-shemesh and Zanoah in central Israel.

    Archaeology

    The exact location of Judah’s En-gannim remains uncertain and debated among biblical geographers and archaeologists. No definitive archaeological site has been universally accepted, partly because many ancient tells (mounds) in the Shephelah are small or unexcavated, and the name may have shifted or been lost over time. Many Shephelah sites from the Iron Age (biblical period) are modest villages rather than major cities, making precise identification difficult without inscriptions or strong continuity into later periods (e.g., Roman/Byzantine).

    The main scholarly proposals include:

    • Khirbet Umm Jina (or Umm Gina/Umm Jina): Frequently suggested, located south of Wadi es-Sarar (Nahal Sorek) and not far from Zanoah (Zanu`). This fits the biblical grouping in Joshua 15:34 and the Shephelah context. Some sources place it west or southwest of Beth-shemesh.

    • Beit Jimal (or Beit Jemal): Proposed in some references (e.g., certain dictionaries and Jehovah's Witnesses' Insight book), about 2–2.5 km (1–1.5 miles) south of Beth-shemesh. This area has springs and agricultural suitability, though evidence is not conclusive.

    • Other minor or less-supported suggestions: Sites like Khirbet Umm edh Dhiyab or nearby ruins, but these have lower confidence levels.

    These locations place En-gannim roughly in the western foothills of Judah, near modern towns such as Beit Shemesh or Zanoah (Zanu`), in central Israel/West Bank area, about 20–30 km southwest of Jerusalem and inland from the Philistine plain.

More information

Article Version: March 18, 2026