Hammath

About Hammath

Hammath, also referred to as Hammoth-dor or Hammon, was a city located in the territory of Naphtali, one of the northern tribes of Israel. It is mentioned in the book of Joshua as one of the fortified cities in Naphtali (Joshua 19:35) and as a city given to the Levites from the tribe of Naphtali (Joshua 21:32; 1Ch.6.76). The Levites were the priestly tribe of Israel, and they were allocated cities throughout the land to fulfill their religious duties and serve the people.

The exact location of Hammath is not specified in the Bible, but it is believed to be situated in the Upper Galilee region, near the Sea of Galilee. Some scholars identify it with the modern-day site of Hammat Tiberias, known for its hot springs, located south of Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Apart from its mention in the lists of cities and Levitical towns, no further details about Hammath's history, size, or significance are provided in the Bible. Its inclusion in these lists, however, indicates that it was a city of some importance during the time of the Israelite settlement in 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.