Bible Location

Akko

Akko was an ancient Mediterranean port on the coast of northern Canaan. Known in later periods as Ptolemais and Acre, the city occupied an important position on the Bay of Akko and served for centuries as a commercial and maritime center.

Judges 1:31 names Akko among the cities from which the tribe of Asher did not drive out the Canaanite inhabitants. The reference places the city within the territory associated with Asher while also illustrating the incomplete Israelite occupation of portions of the northern coastal region.

Ancient Akko is securely associated with modern Acre in northern Israel. Archaeological remains at Tel Akko document settlement over many centuries, while the focus of the later city shifted westward toward the present coastal Old City.

Biblical Significance

Akko appears by name in Judges 1:31, where it is included with Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob among places whose inhabitants Asher failed to dispossess.

The verse belongs to the larger description in Judges 1 of Israelite tribes that did not completely occupy their allotted territories. Akko therefore illustrates the continuing presence of Canaanite populations within areas assigned to Israel.

Although the city receives little direct attention elsewhere under the name Akko, its strategic coastal position made the region important throughout subsequent biblical and Near Eastern history.

Historical Background

Akko was one of the major ports of the southern Levant. Archaeological evidence at Tel Akko indicates occupation extending from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period. Its location on a broad natural bay made it valuable for maritime commerce and communication.

The city appears in ancient Egyptian and Assyrian records as well as in the Bible. During the Hellenistic period the urban center shifted toward the coast and became known as Ptolemais. That name continued into the Roman and New Testament periods.

In later centuries the city, known as Acre, became especially prominent during the Crusades. Its unusually long history means that remains from several distinct periods are preserved in and around the modern city.

Modern Identification

Biblical Akko is securely identified with Acre, or Akko, on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel. Tel Akko, immediately east of the modern coastal city, preserves the principal remains of the earlier settlement.

The later Hellenistic, Roman, medieval, and modern city developed closer to the harbor. Consequently, visitors encounter two related archaeological settings: the ancient tell and the later coastal city.

Scripture References

Judges 1:31

Related Resources

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Sources

Bible: Judges 1:31; Biblical Archaeology Society, Akko's Total Archaeology Experience; Tel Akko archaeological research; historical and archaeological studies of Acre/Ptolemais