Lexical Summary Almon: Almon Original Word: עַלְמוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Almon, a place in Palestine From alam; hidden; Almon, a place in Palestine See also Almon Diblathaymah. see HEBREW alam see HEBREW Almon Diblathaymah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom alam Definition a city in Benjamin NASB Translation Almon (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs עַלְמוֺן proper name, of a location (compare Sabean proper name עלמן Hal192); — priestly city in Benjamin Joshua 21:18 (P), ᵐ5 Γαμαλα, A Αλμων, ᵐ5L Ελμων; = עָלֶמֶת in "" 1 Chronicles 6:45 (ᵐ5 Γαλεμεθ, ᵐ5L Αλαμωθ); modern `Almît, approximately 1 hour northeast of Jerusalem, see BuhlGeogr. 175. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Almon appears only once in the Hebrew canon, in the record of Levitical cities assigned to the descendants of Aaron (Joshua 21:18). A variant form, “Alemeth,” is listed among the same priestly allotments in 1 Chronicles 6:60, indicating that the two names refer to the same town. Geographic Setting and Identification Almon lay within the tribal territory of Benjamin, north-east of Jerusalem and immediately north of Anathoth. Most identifications locate it at or near the modern Arab village of ‘Almit/Almon, roughly five to six kilometers from the Temple Mount. The proximity of Almon to Jerusalem would have given resident priests ready access to the central place of worship while allowing them to minister among the surrounding rural population. Levitical Allocation and Priestly Service Numbers 35 required every tribe to grant towns and surrounding pasturelands to the Levites so that priestly instruction and sacrificial oversight would permeate Israelite society. Almon, together with Anathoth, formed the Benjaminite contribution to the Kohathite line of Aaron. The pasturelands (“common-lands,”) provided livestock and subsistence for the priests, freeing them to teach the Law (Deuteronomy 33:10) and intercede for the people. Relationship with Anathoth and the Benjaminite Network Anathoth became famous as Jeremiah’s hometown (Jeremiah 1:1), and its prominence may have overshadowed nearby Almon. Nevertheless, the pairing of the two cities shows Benjamin’s vital role in sustaining temple personnel. Their placement on the northern approaches to Jerusalem also created a corridor of priestly influence along key travel routes leading to the capital. Historical Trajectory and Archaeological Proposals No distinct biblical events are recorded at Almon after the settlement period; however, its likely identification with “Almon” attested in later rabbinic sources suggests continued habitation into the Second Temple era. Excavations in the vicinity have uncovered Iron Age pottery, tombs, and agricultural installations consistent with a modest Levitical village. Ministry Significance and Theological Reflections 1. Stewardship of Sacred Space: Almon exemplifies how even an obscure settlement participated in the larger redemptive economy by housing those who taught the covenant and guarded worship purity. Key Scripture “Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands—four cities.” (Joshua 21:18) Forms and Transliterations עַלְמ֖וֹן עלמון ‘al·mō·wn ‘almōwn alMonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 21:18 HEB: מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ וְאֶת־ עַלְמ֖וֹן וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ NAS: lands and Almon with its pasture lands; KJV: with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; INT: Anathoth pasture and Almon lands cities 1 Occurrence |
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