Introduction:
Ai is a significant location in the biblical narrative, particularly in the Old Testament. It is primarily known as the site of an Israelite defeat followed by a subsequent victory during the conquest of Canaan under Joshua's leadership. The account of Ai is found in the Book of Joshua, chapters 7 and 8.

Geographical Location:
Ai is described as being near Bethel, east of it, and close to the city of Jericho. The exact location of Ai has been a subject of archaeological and scholarly debate, but it is generally believed to be in the central highlands of Canaan, in the region that would later become part of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.

Biblical Account:

1. Initial Defeat at Ai (Joshua 7):
After the miraculous victory at Jericho, the Israelites set their sights on Ai. Joshua sent men to spy out the city, and they reported that only a small force would be needed to capture it. However, the Israelites were defeated, and about thirty-six men were killed. This defeat was attributed to the sin of Achan, who had taken some of the devoted things from Jericho, violating God's command. The Lord said to Joshua, "Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them" (Joshua 7:11).

2. Achan's Sin and Punishment (Joshua 7):
The Lord instructed Joshua to sanctify the people and identify the transgressor. Through a process of casting lots, Achan was identified as the culprit. He confessed to taking a beautiful robe, silver, and a bar of gold. Achan, along with his family and possessions, was taken to the Valley of Achor and stoned to death, after which the Israelites raised a large pile of stones over him. This act of judgment restored the Lord's favor to Israel.

3. Victory at Ai (Joshua 8):
With the sin of Achan addressed, the Lord commanded Joshua to attack Ai again, this time with a strategic plan. Joshua set an ambush behind the city. The main force pretended to flee, drawing the men of Ai out of the city. The ambush force then entered the city, set it on fire, and the Israelites achieved a decisive victory. The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land" (Joshua 8:1).

4. Destruction and Consecration (Joshua 8):
The city of Ai was completely destroyed, and its king was captured and hanged. The Israelites took the livestock and goods of the city as plunder, as the Lord had instructed. Ai was left in ruins, a heap of stones, as a testament to the Lord's judgment and the fulfillment of His promises to Israel.

Theological Significance:
The events at Ai underscore the importance of obedience to God's commands and the consequences of sin within the community of God's people. The initial defeat serves as a reminder of the need for holiness and the seriousness of covenant faithfulness. The subsequent victory illustrates God's mercy and faithfulness in granting success when His people repent and align themselves with His will.

Cultural and Historical Context:
Ai's narrative reflects the broader context of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, a period marked by divine intervention and fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs. The account of Ai is a microcosm of the larger theme of God's sovereignty and the necessity of Israel's reliance on Him for victory and blessing.

Archaeological Insights:
While the precise location of Ai remains debated, some scholars associate it with the archaeological site of et-Tell. Excavations have revealed a fortified city that was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times, though the correlation with the biblical account is not universally accepted. The search for Ai continues to be a topic of interest in biblical archaeology.Ai

or Hai, mass; heap

Ai

(heap of ruins).

1. A city lying east of Bethel and "beside Bethaven." (Joshua 7:2; 8:9) It was the second city taken by Israel after the passage of the Jordan, and was "utterly destroyed." (Joshua 7:3-5; 8:1; Joshua 9:3; 10:1,2; 12:9)
2. A city of the Ammonites, apparently attached to Heshbon. (Jeremiah 49:3)

Ai

Called also Hai, Genesis 12:8; Aija, Nehemiah 11:31; and Aiath, Isaiah 10:28. A royal city of the Canaanites, east of Bethel, near which Abraham once sojourned and built an altar, Genesis 12:8; 13:3. It is memorable for Joshua's defeat on account of Achan, and his subsequent victory, Joshua 7:2-5; 8:1-29. It was rebuilt, and is mentioned by Isaiah. Its ruins are spoken of by Eusebius and Jerome, but the exact site cannot now be fixed with certainty.

Ruins.

(1.) One of the royal cities of the Canaanites (Joshua 10:1; Genesis 12:8; 13:3). It was the scene of Joshua's defeat, and afterwards of his victory. It was the second Canaanite city taken by Israel (Joshua 7:2-5; 8:1-29). It lay rebuilt and inhibited by the Benjamites (Ezra 2:28; Nehemiah 7:32; 11:31). It lay to the east of Bethel, "beside Beth-aven." The spot which is most probably the site of this ancient city is Haiyan, 2 miles east from Bethel. It lay up the Wady Suweinit, a steep, rugged valley, extending from the Jordan valley to Bethel.

(2.) A city in the Ammonite territory (Jeremiah 49:3). Some have thought that the proper reading of the word is Ar (Isaiah 15:1).

(n.) The three-toed sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) of South America. See Sloth.AI

a'-i (`ay, written always with the definite article, ha-`ay, probably meaning "the ruin," kindred root, `awah):

(1) A town of central Palestine, in the tribe of Benjamin, near and just east of Bethel (Genesis 12:8). It is identified with the modern Haiyan, just south of the village Der Diwan (Conder in HDB; Delitzsch in Commentary on Genesis 12:8) or with a mound, El-Tell, to the north of the modern village (Davis, Dict. Biblical). The name first appears in the earliest journey of Abraham through Palestine (Genesis 12:8), where its location is given as east of Bethel, and near the altar which Abraham built between the two places. It is given similar mention as he returns from his sojourn in Egypt (Genesis 13:3). In both of these occurrences the King James Version has the form Hai, including the article in transliterating. The most conspicuous mention of Ai is in the narrative of the Conquest. As a consequence of the sin of Achan in appropriating articles from the devoted spoil of Jericho, the Israelites were routed in the attack upon the town; but after confession and expiation, a second assault was successful, the city was taken and burned, and left a heap of ruins, the inhabitants, in number twelve thousand, were put to death, the king captured, hanged and buried under a heap of stones at the gate of the ruined city, only the cattle being kept as spoil by the people (Joshua 7; Joshua 8). The town had not been rebuilt when Jos was written (Joshua 8:28). The fall of Ai gave the Israelites entrance to the heart of Canaan, where at once they became established, Bethel and other towns in the vicinity seeming to have yielded without a struggle. Ai was rebuilt at some later period, and is mentioned by Isaiah (Isaiah 10:28) in his vivid description of the approach of the Assyrian army, the feminine form (`ayyath) being used. Its place in the order of march, as just beyond Michmash from Jerusalem, corresponds with the identification given above. It is mentioned also in post-exilic times by Ezra 2:28 and Nehemiah 7:32, (and in Nehemiah 11:31 as, `ayya'), identified in each case by the grouping with Bethel.

(2) The Ai of Jeremiah 49:3 is an Ammonite town, the text probably being a corruption of `ar; or ha-`ir, "the city" (BDB).

Edward Mack

3588. ho, he, to -- the
... (ai) -- 154 Occurrences. (e) -- 1409 Occurrences. (o) -- 3184 Occurrences. (oi) --
1150 Occurrences. (ta) -- 836 Occurrences. (tais) -- 203 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3588.htm - 8k7671. Shebarim -- perhaps "quarries," a place near Ai
... Shebarim. 7672 . perhaps "quarries," a place near Ai. Transliteration: Shebarim
Phonetic Spelling: (sheb-aw-reem') Short Definition: Shebarim. Word Origin pl. ...
/hebrew/7671.htm - 6k

5857. Ay -- a Canaanite city
... Ay or Ayya or Ayyath. 5858 . a Canaanite city. Transliteration: Ay or Ayya or
Ayyath Phonetic Spelling: (ah'ee) Short Definition: Ai. ... Ai, Aija, Aijath,. ...
/hebrew/5857.htm - 6k

5892. iyr -- excitement
... 5891, 5892. iyr. 5892a . excitement. Transliteration: iyr Phonetic Spelling:
(eer) Short Definition: excitement. Ai, city, town ...
/hebrew/5892.htm - 5k

The Capture of Jericho and Ai
... THE OLD TESTAMENT THE CAPTURE OF JERICHO AND AI. Now Jericho had ... this day. Then
Joshua set out with all the warriors to go up to Ai. And ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/the capture of jericho and.htm

Achan's Sin, Israel's Defeat
... of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against
the children of Israel.2. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/achans sin israels defeat.htm

The Great Furnace for a Great Soul
... THE GREAT FURNACE FOR A GREAT SOUL. BEING THE STORY OF AI DO. MRS. ... The years
passed by, and little Ai Do won the love and approval of all. ...
/.../cable/the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter xi the great furnace.htm

Women's Bible Training School
... evangelistic work. Foremost amongst these was Mrs. Liang, mother of Ling
Ai, the headmistress of the girls' school. Strong, true ...
/.../the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter xvi womens bible training.htm

Restraining Prayer: is it Sin?
... of God's presence. 2. Defeat and failure are always owing to the loss
of God's presence."It was thus at Ai. God had brought His ...
/.../murray/the ministry of intercession/chapter vi restraining prayer is.htm

With the Rev. William Burns
... native dress. The T'ai-p'ing rebellion, commenced in 1851, had by this time
reached the height of its ephemeral success. The great ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/a retrospect/chapter xi with the rev.htm

Joshua
... This initial success was followed by a sharp and unexpected disaster at Ai, for
which Achan, by his violation of the law of the ban, was held guilty and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/joshua.htm

Chapter xiii
... 3, 4. So he went in stages from the Negeb to Bethel, to the place where his tent
had been in the previous instance between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiii.htm

How Joshua, the Commander of the Hebrews, Made War with The
... Now, a few days after the calamity that befell Jericho, Joshua sent three thousand
armed men to take Ai, a city situate above Jericho; but, upon the sight of ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how joshua the.htm

Five Kings in a Cave
... It is rather singular that when the children of Israel had taken Jericho they failed
at Ai, and yet not singular when we realize that one man had sinned in all ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chapman/and judas iscariot/five kings in a cave.htm

Ai (32 Occurrences)
... See Sloth. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. AI. a ... transliterating. The most
conspicuous mention of Ai is in the narrative of the Conquest. ...
/a/ai.htm - 21k

Ai'jalon (10 Occurrences)
Ai'jalon. Aijalon, Ai'jalon. Aijeleth . Multi-Version Concordance
Ai'jalon (10 Occurrences). Joshua 10:12 Then Joshua ...
/a/ai'jalon.htm - 8k

Jeshish'ai (1 Occurrence)
Jeshish'ai. Jeshishai, Jeshish'ai. Jeshoaiah . Multi-Version
Concordance Jeshish'ai (1 Occurrence). 1 Chronicles 5:14 ...
/j/jeshish'ai.htm - 6k

Ma'ai (1 Occurrence)
Ma'ai. Maai, Ma'ai. Maalehacrabbim . Multi-Version Concordance
Ma'ai (1 Occurrence). Nehemiah 12:36 and his brothers ...
/m/ma'ai.htm - 6k

Ai'ja (1 Occurrence)
Ai'ja. Aija, Ai'ja. Aijah . Multi-Version Concordance Ai'ja
(1 Occurrence). Nehemiah 11:31 The children of Benjamin ...
/a/ai'ja.htm - 6k

Ai'ath (1 Occurrence)
Ai'ath. Aiath, Ai'ath. Aid . Multi-Version Concordance Ai'ath (1
Occurrence). Isaiah 10:28 He has gone up from Pene-Rimmon ...
/a/ai'ath.htm - 6k

Ai'ah (5 Occurrences)
Ai'ah. A'iah, Ai'ah. Aiah's . Multi-Version Concordance Ai'ah
(5 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 3:7 Now Saul had a concubine ...
/a/ai'ah.htm - 7k

Sar'ai (12 Occurrences)
Sar'ai. Sarai, Sar'ai. Saraiah . Multi-Version Concordance
Sar'ai (12 Occurrences). Genesis 11:29 And Abram and Nahor ...
/s/sar'ai.htm - 9k

Re-ai'ah (4 Occurrences)
Re-ai'ah. Reaiah, Re-ai'ah. Real . Multi-Version Concordance
Re-ai'ah (4 Occurrences). 1 Chronicles 4:2 Reaiah the son ...
/r/re-ai'ah.htm - 7k

Re-el-ai'ah (1 Occurrence)
Re-el-ai'ah. Reelaiah, Re-el-ai'ah. Reeled . Multi-Version
Concordance Re-el-ai'ah (1 Occurrence). Ezra 2:2 who came ...
/r/re-el-ai'ah.htm - 6k

What is the significance of Ai in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Is artificial intelligence (AI) biblically possible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Achan in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Ai: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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