town or village

Libnah

• Today Tell Bornat
• Location disputed

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History

Libnah was a town of the Shephelah, the low hills between the Judaean highlands and the coastal plain. Its site is disputed. The point on the map marks Tel Burna (Tell Bornat), a fortified mound between Lachish and Gath that W. F. Albright and Yohanan Aharoni proposed for Libnah; Itzhaq Shai, who has excavated it since 2010, holds the same view. The excavators of Tel Zayit, a few kilometres to the west, have suggested their site instead, and Tell ej-Judeideh (Tel Goded) has also been proposed. No inscription has yet settled the question.

Tel Burna was settled from the Early Bronze Age. In the thirteenth century BC a large Canaanite cult enclosure with a courtyard stood on a terrace below the summit. In the later Iron Age a casemate wall with a gate ringed the summit, and among the finds are jar handles stamped with the royal seal of Judah, the lmlk stamp.

In the Book of Joshua Israel came from Makkedah to Libnah, took it and smote its king, and went on to Lachish. Libnah is listed among the towns of the lowland of Judah and was given with its suburbs to the children of Aaron. In the ninth century BC, under Jehoram king of Judah, when Edom broke away, "Libnah revolted at the same time". In 701 BC Rab-shakeh, coming back from Jerusalem, found Sennacherib "warring against Libnah", for he had departed from Lachish. Hamutal, "the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah", was the mother of two of the last kings of Judah, Jehoahaz and Zedekiah.

Josephus retells the revolt of Libnah under Jehoram. In the early fourth century AD Eusebius knew a village called Lobana in the district of Eleutheropolis (Beth Guvrin), a priestly city of the tribe of Judah taken by Joshua.

Scripture: Josh 10:29–32; Josh 12:15; Josh 15:42; Josh 21:13; 2 Kgs 8:20–22; 2 Kgs 19:8; 2 Kgs 23:31; 2 Kgs 24:18

Checked against its sources; not yet read by a historian.

Verses (16)

Josh 10:29

Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:

Josh 10:30

And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

Josh 10:31

And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:

Josh 10:32

And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

Josh 10:39

And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.

Josh 12:15

The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

Josh 15:42

Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,

Josh 21:13

Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

2 Kgs 8:22

Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

2 Kgs 19:8

So Rab-shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

2 Kgs 23:31

Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2 Kgs 24:18

Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

1 Chr 6:57

And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs,

2 Chr 21:10

So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

Isa 37:8

So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

Jer 52:1

Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

King James Version

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