Place Old Testament
Ahlab
Also known as Mahalab =ESV; region =NIV; coast =KJV
Ahlab (Mahalab), a city in Asher's territory, not conquered by the Israelites. Mentioned in 2 verses across 2 books, first at Joshua 19:29.
Why it matters. A Canaanite city allotted to Asher.
- Primary passages
- Location
- 33.025, 35.445 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Ahlab
Ahlab, also known as Mahalab, was a Canaanite city that was allotted to the tribe of Asher during the division of the Promised Land (Joshua 19:29). It was located in the western part of Galilee, near the Mediterranean coast. However, the tribe of Asher failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants of Ahlab, and as a result, the Canaanites continued to live among them (Judges 1:31).
This failure to completely conquer and possess the allotted territory was a common problem for several Israelite tribes during the period of the judges. The continued presence of Canaanites in cities like Ahlab would have exposed the Israelites to the influence of pagan religions and practices, which ultimately led to spiritual decline and disobedience to God. The exact location of Ahlab is uncertain, but it is generally associated with the site of Khirbet el-Mahalib, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Tyre.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.