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Kedesh

also known as: Qedesh and Kedish

Meaning: sanctuary

This is the name of 3 biblical places.

  1. Kedesh, a place in the extreme south of Judah (Joshua 15:23). Probably the same as Kadesh-Barnea (Kadeshbarnea).

  2. Kedesh, a city in the Tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 6:72).

  3. Kedesh, a “fenced city” of the Tribe of Naphtali, in Upper Galilee

    also known as: Qadas, Cadasa, and قدس (Arabic)

    This was also a Levitical city and one of the cities of refuge mentioned by Joshua (Josh. 19:37; Judges 4:6).

    It was assigned to the Gershonite Levites (Joshua 21:32).

    It was originally a Canaanite royal city (Joshua 12:22), and was the residence of Barak (Judges 4:6); and here he and Deborah assembled the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali before the commencement of the conflict with Sisera in the plain of Esdraelon, “for Jehovah among the mighty” (9, 10).

    During the reign of Pekah it was taken by Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kings 15:29). It was situated near the “plain” (rather “the oak”) of Zaanaim.

    The modern village of Qadas, Israel is near Tel Qedesh (aka Tel Kadesh), the site of the ancient biblical city of Kedesh in Galilee. There are actually 2 tels for Kadesh here, one west of road 899, and one east.

    Tel Qedesh, left and right of 899 — map

    It has been supposed by some that the Kedesh of the narrative, where Barak assembled his troops, was not the place in Upper Galilee so named, which was 30 miles distant from the plain of Esdraelon, but rather a Kedish farther to the south on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, 12 miles from Tabor.

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Article Version: June 28, 2024