Place Old Testament
Chesalon
Also known as Chesalon =ESV, KJV; Kesalon =NIV
Chesalon, also known as Mount Jearim, was a landmark on the northern boundary of Judah, near Bethshemesh. Mentioned once in Scripture, at Joshua 15:10.
Why it matters. Landmark on Judah's northern border
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.781, 35.051 (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 Chesalon
Chesalon, also referred to as Mount Jearim, was a place mentioned as one of the landmarks on the western part of the northern boundary of Judah (Joshua 15:10). It was situated beyond Mount Seir and was apparently located on the shoulder or side of Mount Jearim, which means "Mount of Forests." Although Mount Jearim was in close proximity to Kirjath-jearim, the two were not necessarily connected.
Chesalon was the next landmark after Bethshemesh in the description of Judah's border. The exact location is uncertain, but it has been identified with the modern village of Kesla, located about six miles northeast of Ain Shems (Bethshemesh) in the western mountains of Judah. In the 4th century AD, Eusebius and Jerome described Chesalon as a very large village.
The name Chesalon may be derived from the Hebrew verb "kasal," which can mean "to be confident," often in a foolish or stupid way. However, due to the lack of context, the exact meaning and significance of the name remain unclear.
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 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Joshua (1 verse)