Joshua 15
Territory of Judah Allotted
Israel Divides the Land among the 12 Tribes1
The lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilderness of Zin southward, at the uttermost part of the south.
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Their south border was from the uttermost part of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looks southward;
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and it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh Barnea, and passed along by Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned towards Karka;
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and it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south border.
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The east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of the Jordan. The border of the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the end of the Jordan.
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The border went up to Beth Hoglah, and passed along by the north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
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and the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount Baalah, and went out at Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.
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The west border was to the shore of the great sea. This is the border of the children of Judah according to their families.
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Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
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He went up against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher.
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When she came, she had him ask her father for a field. She got off of her donkey, and Caleb said, "What do you want?"
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She said, "Give me a blessing. Because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water."So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
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This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.
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The farthest cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom in the South were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,
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Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,
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Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,
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Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
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Amam, Shema, Moladah,
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Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,
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Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,
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Baalah, Iim, Ezem,
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Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,
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Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,
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Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. All the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.
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In the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
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Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,
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Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,
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Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah (or Gederothaim); fourteen cities with their villages.
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Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,
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Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel,
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Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
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Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish,
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Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.
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Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
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Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,
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Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.
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Ekron, with its towns and its villages;
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from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages.
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Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and the great sea with its coastline.
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In the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,
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Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (which is Debir),
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Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,
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Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.
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Arab, Dumah, Eshan,
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Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,
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Humtah, Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.
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Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jutah,
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Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,
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Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.
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Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,
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Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.
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Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages.
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In the wilderness, Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,
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Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi; six cities with their villages.
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Jos 15:1-12. BORDERS OF THE LOT OF JUDAH.
1. This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah--In what manner the lot was drawn on this occasion the sacred historian does not say; but it is probable that the method adopted was similar to that described in Jos 18:10. Though the general survey of the country had not been completed, some rough draft or delineation of the first conquered part must have been made, and satisfactory evidence obtained that it was large enough to furnish three cantons, before all the tribes cast lots for them; and they fell to Judah, Ephraim, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The lot of Judah came first, in token of the pre-eminence of that tribe over all the others; and its destined superiority thus received the visible sanction of God. The territory, assigned to it as a possession, was large and extensive, being bounded on the south by the wilderness of Zin, and the southern extremity of the Salt Sea (Nu 34:3-5); on the east, by that sea, extending to the point where it receives the waters of the Jordan; on the north, by a line drawn nearly parallel to Jerusalem, across the country, from the northern extremity of the Salt Sea to the southern limits of the Philistine territory, and to the Mediterranean; and on the west this sea was its boundary, as far as Sihor (Wady El-Arish).