Place Old Testament
Kedesh
Also known as -naphtali =ESV, KJV; Kedesh in, Naphtali =NIV
Kedesh (Kedesh-naphtali), a Canaanite city conquered by Joshua, became a Levitical city and a city of refuge in the territory of Naphtali (Joshua 12:22; 19:37; 20:7; 21:32). Mentioned in 10 verses across 4 books, first at Joshua 12:22.
Why it matters. A Canaanite city, later a Levitical city of refuge in Naphtali
- Primary passages
- Location
- 33.113, 35.534 (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 Kedesh
Kedesh, also known as Kedesh-naphtali, was a significant city in the northern part of Canaan. It was originally a Canaanite city, ruled by a king who was defeated by Joshua during the conquest of the land (Joshua 12:22). After the conquest, Kedesh was allotted to the tribe of Naphtali (Joshua 19:37) and designated as a Levitical city (Joshua 21:32) and a city of refuge (Joshua 20:7). Cities of refuge were established to provide sanctuary for those who accidentally killed someone, protecting them from revenge until a proper trial could be held. Kedesh was also the hometown of Barak, who, along with Deborah, led the Israelites to victory against Sisera and the Canaanites (Judges 4:6, 9-11). The city was later captured by Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, during his invasion of Israel (2Ki.15.29). The exact location of Kedesh is disputed, but it is generally identified with the modern-day site of Tel Kedesh, located in the Upper Galilee region of Israel, near the border with Lebanon.
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
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 10 verses across 4 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.