Place Old Testament
Carmel
Also known as Carmelite, Carmelitess, Racal =ESV; Rakal =NIV; Rachal =KJV
Carmel was a town in Judah, known as the home of Nabal and his wife Abigail, who later married David. Mentioned in 24 verses across 9 books, first at Joshua 12:22.
Why it matters. Town in Judah; home of Nabal and Abigail
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.433, 35.133 (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 Carmel
Carmel, also known as Racal, was a town located in the hill country of Judah (Joshua 15:55). It is mentioned several times in the Bible, particularly in relation to David's life. Carmel was the home of Nabal, a wealthy but foolish man who refused to assist David and his men (1Sa.25.2-11). Nabal's wife, Abigail, intervened and provided for David's needs, demonstrating her wisdom and resourcefulness (1Sa.25.14-35).
After Nabal's death, David married Abigail, and she became one of his wives (1Sa.25.40-42). Later, when David was fleeing from Saul, he sent his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, to stay in Carmel (1Sa.27.3). The town is also mentioned in the list of places that received spoils from David's victory over the Amalekites (1Sa.30.29).
In the Song of Solomon, the beauty of the bride's head is compared to Mount Carmel (Sng.7.5), likely referring to the lush vegetation and majesty of the mountain. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Nahum use Carmel as a symbol of fertility, beauty, and God's judgment (Isaiah 33:9, 35:2; Jeremiah 46:18, 50:19; Amo.1.2, 9:3; Nam.1.4).
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 24 verses across 9 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.