Difference between revisions of "Makkedah"

<p> The place where Joshua (&nbsp;Joshua 10:10; &nbsp;Joshua 10:16-28) executed the five confederate kings in the afternoon of the 24 hours' day on which he won the victory at Bethhoron. The cave where they hid was a well known one close to [[Makkedah]] ''(The Article, "The Cave," In The [[Hebrew]] Shows This)'' . Joshua first made his captains put their feet upon the five kings' necks (&nbsp;Psalms 149:8-9; &nbsp;Malachi 4:3) to assure them by this earnest of their future success under God, then executed them deliberately and judicially, and left them hanging to five trees until evening in sight of the defenders of Makkedah so as to strike terror into the enemy. </p> <p> Next he took Makkedah and smote its king and all its inhabitants. Makkedah was in the '''''Shephelah''''' or "low hilly region" ''(Not "Valley" As Kjv)'' ; &nbsp;Joshua 15:33-41. [[El]] Mughar (Arabic, "the caves") village probably now represents Makkedah, at about eight miles' distance from Ramleh. &nbsp;Joshua 15:41 names Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naameh, and Makkedah together, corresponding respectively to Kutrah, Beit Dejan, Nyaneh, and Mug hat; Kutrah and Mughar near together, Nyaneh six miles N.E., Belt Dejan 12 miles to the N. </p>

<p> [[Makkedah]] ( ''Mak-Kç'Dah'' ), ''Place Of Shepherds.'' A royal city of the [[Canaanites]] in the plains of Judah, where Joshua, executed the are confederate kings. &nbsp;Joshua 10:10; &nbsp;Joshua 12:16; &nbsp;Joshua 15:41. Warren would identify it with ''El-Mŭghâr.'' </p>

<p> ''''' ma ''''' - ''''' kē´da ''''' ( מקּדה , <i> ''''' maḳḳēdhāh ''''' </i> ; Μακηδά , <i> ''''' Makēdá ''''' </i> ): A C anaanite royal city which Joshua captured, utterly destroying the inhabitants, and doing to the king as he had done unto the king of [[Jericho]] (&nbsp;Joshua 10:28; &nbsp;Joshua 12:16 ). It lay in the [[Shephelah]] of Judah (&nbsp;Joshua 15:41 ). It was brought into prominence by the flight thither of the 5 kings of the [[Amorites]] who, having united their forces for the destruction of Gibeon, were themselves defeated and pursued by Joshua (chapter 10). [[Seeing]] their danger, the men of Gibeon sent to the camp at [[Gilgal]] beseeching Joshua to save and help them. That energetic commander marched all night with his full strength, fell upon the allies at Gibeon, slew them with a great slaughter, chased the fugitives down the valley by way of Beth-horon, and smote them unto Azekah and unto Makkedah. It was during this memorable pursuit that in response to Joshua's appeal: "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon," </p> <p> the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down a whole day, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. </p> <p> The 5 kings sought refuge in the cave at Makkedah, where, by Joshua's orders, they were blocked in with great stones, until the slaughter of the fugitives should be completed. Then the royal prisoners were brought out, and, after the chiefs of Israel had set their feet upon their necks, Joshua slew them and hanged them on five trees until sunset. This is an illustration of the old practice of impaling enemies after death. The bodies were then cast into the cave where they had sought to hide, and great stones were rolled against the entrance. </p> <p> The flight of the allies was past Beth-boron and Azekah to Makkedah. Azekah is not identified, but it is named with Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and [[Naamah]] (&nbsp;Joshua 15:41 ). These are probably represented by <i> ''''' Ḳaṭrah ''''' </i> , <i> ''''' Dajān ''''' </i> and <i> ''''' Nā‛aneh ''''' </i> , so that in this district Makkedah may be sought. The officers of the [[Palestine]] Exploration Fund agree in suggesting <i> ''''' el ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' Mughār ''''' </i> , "the cave," on the northern bank of <i> ''''' Wādy ''''' </i> <i> ''''' es ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' Surār ''''' </i> , about 4 miles from the sand dunes on the shore. There are traces of old quarrying and many rock-cut tombs with loculi. "The village stands on a sort of promontory stretching into the valley ... divided into three plateaus; on the lower of these to the South is the modern village, <i> ''''' el ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' Mughār ''''' </i> , built in front of the caves which are cut out of the sandstone" (Warren). In no other place in the neighborhood are caves found. The narrative, however, speaks not of caves, but of " <i> the </i> cave," as of one which was notable. On the other hand the events narrated may have lent distinction to some particular cave among the many. "The cave" would therefore be that associated with the fate of the 5 kings. No certainty is possible. </p>

<p> (Heb. Alakkedah', '''''מִקֵּדָה''''' '', Herdsman'S Place;'' Sept. '''''Μακηδά''''' , [[Josephus]] '''''Μακχιδά''''' '', Ant.'' 5:1, 17), a royal city of the ancient Canaanites (&nbsp;Joshua 12:16), in the neighborhood of which was the cave where the five kings who confederated against Israel took refuge after their defeat (&nbsp;Joshua 10:10-29). It afterwards belonged to Judah (&nbsp;Joshua 15:41). Makkedah is placed by [[Eusebius]] and [[Jerome]] eight Roman miles to the east of Eleutheropolis ( ''Onomast.'' s.v. Maceda), which would bring it among the mountains, as Keil observes, who therefore locates it to the [[West]] ( ''Comment.'' on &nbsp;Joshua 10:10), since it was situated in the plain of Judah (&nbsp;Joshua 15:41), north of [[Libnah]] (&nbsp;Joshua 10:29; &nbsp;Joshua 10:31) and west of Azekah (&nbsp;Joshua 10:10). De Saulcy ( ''Narrat.'' 1:438) is disposed to fix its site at a place which he names ''El-Merked;'' on the way from [[Hebron]] to the [[Dead]] Sea, a little east of Jenbeh; but this is at least twenty-five miles from Eleutheropolis, and the spot itself was not heard of by Dr. Robinson, who passed along the same route. [[Porter]] suggests a ruin bearing the slightly similar name ''El-Klediah,'' on the northern slope of wady el-Surnib, about eight miles north-east of Eleutheropolis, with large caves adjacent ( ''Handbook,'' p. 224, 251); but [[Van]] de Velde's selection ( ''Memoir,'' p. 332) of Sumeil, a village on a hillock in the plain, about two and a half hours north-west of Beit-Jibrin (Robinson, Researches, 2:368), seems more probable, as it has ancient remains, especially a cavern (Van de Velde, Nartrat. 2:173), although somewhat remote from Beth-horon, where Joshua's battle was fought. (See [[Joshua]]). The suggestion of captain Warren ( ''Quarterly Statement'' of the "Palestine Exploration Fund," April, 1871, p. 91), that Makkedah is the present "village of El-Mughar (the cave)" (meaning, doubtless, the Moyharah of Van de Velde's Map, though Robinson writes it Mughar, in Researches, 3:22, note), is quite too far north for the narrative in Joshua, as well as for the associated names, his proposed identification of which would place some, at least, of them (e.g. Beth-dagon, at Beit-Dejan) clearly within the tribe of Dan. </p>