Place Old Testament
Shion
Shion was a town allotted to the tribe of Issachar, mentioned along with Shunem, Hapharaim, and Anaharath (Josh. 19:19). Mentioned once in Scripture, at Joshua 19:19.
Why it matters. Town in the territory of Issachar
- Primary passages
- Location
- 32.717, 35.333 (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 Shion
Shion is mentioned only once in the Bible, in the list of towns allotted to the tribe of Issachar during the division of the Promised Land (Josh. 19:19). It is listed along with other towns in the region, such as Shunem, Hapharaim, and Anaharath. The exact location of Shion is uncertain, but it was likely situated in the Jezreel Valley, within the territory of Issachar. Some scholars propose identifying Shion with Khirbet Sha'in, an archaeological site located approximately 4 miles northwest of Mount Tabor . However, this identification remains tentative due to limited archaeological evidence. The name "Shion" may be derived from the Hebrew verb "shw'," meaning "to be emptied or ravaged" , possibly indicating the town's history or condition. The mention of Shion in the allotment of Issachar's territory highlights the importance of the tribal inheritance and the distribution of towns and lands among the people of Israel.
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)