Abel Beth Maachah

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One benefit of making multiple trips to the Holy Land is that you get to visit new sites of interest and see how the excavation develops. Some years ago, our tour stopped by Abel Beth Maachah. You’re probably saying, “Where is the world is that?”

Well, it certainly is not one of the more readily identifiable cities like Jericho, or Nazareth, or Jerusalem, etc. But it was an important city in the Old Testament because of its strategic location. It was located in Northern Israel in the land distribution of Naphtali. In Bible days, that put it near the borders of Phoenicia and Syria.   

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(The red dot indicates the location of Abel Beth Maachah)

There is an intriguing Old Testament story about a man named Sheba who fled to Abel Beth Maachah after the failed revolt against King David. When David’s nephew, Joab, besieged the city, the inhabitants threw the head of Sheba over the wall rather that battle David’s army. You’ll find this account in 2nd Samuel 20:1-22.

The excavation at Abel Beth Maachah has only begun in the last few years. It will be interesting to see how the dig progresses moving forward. Here is an interesting article about an APU professor of biblical studies who is organizing the dig.