Migdal-El

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

We meet with mention of this place,  Joshua 19:38. The meaning of the name is very plain, from Migdol, tower—and El, God, the tower of God.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Migdal-El. A town of Naphtali’ (  Joshua 19:33 ) between Iron and Horem. The site is uncertain.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 19:38

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 19:38

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Migdal'-El, מַגְדִּלאּאֵל, tower of God; Sept. Μαγδαλιήλ v.r. Μαγδαλιηωράμ or Μεγαλααρίμ), a fortified city of the tribe of Naphtali ( Joshua 19:38), "named between Iron and Horem, possibly deriving its name from some ancient tower the tower, of El, or God." By Eusebius (Onomasticon, Μαγδιήλ ) it is spoken of as a large village lying between Dora (Tantura) and Ptolemais (Akka), at nine miles from the former, that is, just about Athlit, the ancient ‘ Castellum peregrinorum.' No doubt the Castellum was anciently a migdol or tower; but it is impossible to locate a town of Naphtali below Carmel, and at least twenty-five miles from the boundaries of the tribe. It may, however, have been the Magdalum named by Herodotus (2:159) as the site of Pharaoh Necho's victory over Josiah (see Rawlinson's Herod. 2:246, note). But this was not the only Migdol along this coast. If the modern Hurah is Horem and Yarun Iron, there is a possibility in finding Migdal-el in Mujeidel, at no great distance from them, namely, on the left bank of the Wady Kerkerah, eight miles due east of the Ras en-Nakurah, six miles west of Hurah and eight of Yarun (see Van de Velde's Map, 1858)." The enumeration of the towns in the above passage of Joshua, however, favors the connection of this name with the preceding as one, i.e., Migdal- el-Horem, as in the Sept. In any case the present Migdal is probably the Magdala (See Magdala) (q.v.) of the New Test. ( Matthew 15:39), which lay within the limits of Naphtali (q.v.).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mig´dal - el ( מגדּל־אל , mighdal - 'ēl  ; Codex Vaticanus Μεγαλααρείμ , Megalaareı́m  ; Codex Alexandrinus Μαγδαλιηωράμ , Magdaliēōrám ): The name, which means "tower of God," occurs between Iron and Horem in the list of the fenced cities of Naphtali (  Joshua 19:38 ). Eusebius, Onomasticon places it 9 miles from Dora ( Ṭanṭūrah ), on the way to Ptolemais, which points to Athlı̄t . But this is far from the territory of Naphtali. It is probably to be identified with either Khirbet Mejdel , 3 miles North of Ḳedes , or Mejdel Islim , 5 miles farther to the Northwest.