Bible Location

Cabul

Cabul was a place name in northern Israel associated with the territory of Asher. Joshua 19:27 mentions Cabul while describing the boundary of Asher's tribal inheritance.

The name appears again in 1 Kings 9 in connection with twenty cities in Galilee that Solomon gave to Hiram king of Tyre. Hiram was dissatisfied with the cities, and the surrounding district came to be called the land of Cabul.

The relationship between the town named in Joshua and the district described in 1 Kings is probable but not entirely certain, and the exact boundaries of the land of Cabul are unknown.

Biblical Significance

Joshua 19:24-31 describes the inheritance of Asher and includes Cabul among the geographical points defining its territory.

First Kings 9:10-14 gives the name a second significance. After Hiram of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar, cypress timber, and gold for his building projects, Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. Hiram inspected them and was displeased with what he received.

The passage states that he called them the land of Cabul. The episode illustrates the extensive political and commercial relationship between Solomon and the Phoenician kingdom of Tyre.

Historical Background

Cabul belonged to the northern Galilean setting near the territory of Asher and the Phoenician coast. This was a region in which Israelite, Canaanite, and Phoenician political and cultural influences interacted.

The account of Solomon and Hiram reflects the importance of Phoenician expertise and resources in Solomon's construction projects. Tyre supplied timber and skilled workers, while Israel provided agricultural products and other compensation.

The biblical text does not provide sufficient detail to reconstruct the precise extent of the twenty-city district associated with Cabul.

Modern Identification

Biblical Cabul is commonly associated with the modern Arab village of Kabul in western Galilee, east of Acre. The preservation of the ancient name and the geographical setting within the region of Asher support the identification.

The precise relationship between this settlement and the wider "land of Cabul" mentioned in 1 Kings 9 remains less certain. The latter appears to designate a district containing multiple towns rather than merely the single settlement.

Scripture References

Joshua 19:27 1 Kings 9:13

Related Resources

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Sources

Bible: Joshua 19:27, 1 Kings 9:10-14; biblical geographical reference works concerning Cabul, Asher, Galilee, and the kingdom of Tyre