Place Old Testament
En-shemesh
Also known as En-shemesh =ESV, KJV; En Shemesh =NIV
En-shemesh, a spring on the border between the territories of Judah and Benjamin, near Jerusalem. Mentioned in 2 verses across 1 book, first at Joshua 15:7.
Why it matters. Spring on the border between Judah and Benjamin
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.774, 35.270 (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 En-shemesh
En-shemesh, meaning "spring of the sun," was a spring located on the border between the territories of Judah and Benjamin, near Jerusalem (Joshua 15:7; 18:17). It is mentioned twice in the Bible, both times in the context of describing the boundary lines of these two tribes.
In Joshua 15:7, En-shemesh is listed as one of the landmarks on the northern border of Judah, along with the Stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben, and the valley of Achor. In Joshua 18:17, it is mentioned again as part of the southern border of Benjamin, along with Geliloth and the stone of Bohan.
The exact location of En-shemesh is uncertain, but it was likely situated east of Jerusalem, in the vicinity of the Kidron Valley. Its name, "spring of the sun," may suggest that it was located in a sunny spot or that it had some association with sun worship in Canaanite times.
Apart from its role in demarcating the tribal boundaries, no other details about En-shemesh are provided in the Bible. Its mention in the boundary descriptions helps to establish the geographical extent of Judah and Benjamin's territories during the division of the Promised Land.
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 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.