Place Old Testament
Giloh
Also known as Gilonite =ESV, NIV, KJV; Gilo =ESV
Giloh, also known as Gilo, was a city in Judah and the hometown of Ahithophel, David's counselor who later conspired with Absalom (Joshua 15:51; 2Sa.15.12; 23:34). Mentioned in 3 verses across 2 books, first at Joshua 15:51.
Why it matters. A city in Judah; home of Ahithophel, David's counselor.
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.617, 35.083 (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 Giloh
Giloh, also referred to as Gilo, was a city located in the hill country of Judah, mentioned in the territorial allotment of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:51). It is most notably known as the hometown of Ahithophel, a wise counselor who served King David (2Sa.23.34). However, during Absalom's rebellion against David, Ahithophel sided with Absalom and provided him with counsel (2Sa.15.12). Ahithophel's defection was a significant blow to David, given his reputation for wisdom and insight. When Absalom rejected Ahithophel's advice in favor of Hushai's counsel, Ahithophel returned to Giloh and hanged himself, perceiving that Absalom's cause was doomed (2Sa.17.23). Apart from its association with Ahithophel, little else is known about Giloh from the biblical text. Its mention in the narrative of Absalom's rebellion highlights the political and personal turmoil that David faced during his reign.
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 3 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.