Shiloh (biblical city)

Shiloh (ˈʃaɪloʊ; שִׁלֹה, שִׁלוֹ ,שִׁילֹה, and שִׁילוֹ, variably, Šīlō) was an ancient city and sanctuary in Samaria. According to the Hebrew Bible, Shiloh was one of the main centers of Israelite worship during the pre-monarchic period, before the First Temple in Jerusalem was built. After the Israelite conquest of Canaan, the Tabernacle was moved to Shiloh, and remained there during the period of the biblical judges. Shiloh has been positively identified with modern Khirbet Seilun, a tell known in Modern Hebrew as Tel Shiloh. It is located north of Jerusalem, in the West Bank, to the west of the modern Israeli settlement town of Shilo and to the north of the Palestinian town of Turmus Ayya. Relative to other archaeological sites, it is south of the biblical town of Lebonah and north of Bethel. G. F. Moore has suggested identifying Bochim as Shiloh. The meaning of the word "Shiloh" is unclear. Sometimes, it is translated as a Messianic title, which means He Whose It Is or as Pacific, Pacificator or Tranquility and refers to the Samaritan Pentateuch. Regardless, the name of Shiloh the town is derived from and may be translated as Tranquility Town. Shiloh is situated just east of the Jerusalem–Nablus road, 31 km north of Jerusalem. It was identified unambiguously with Khirbet Seilun, based on the much detailed biblical description of the site: So they said, "Look, the yearly festival of Yahweh is taking place at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah." The Arabic name, Khirbet Seilun, preserves the ancient Hebrew name. In the 4th century CE, Eusebius and Jerome demonstrated some awareness of Shiloh's location as did the cartographer of the Madaba Map in the 6th century. In 1838, the American biblical scholar Edward Robinson became the first modern person to correctly identify Khirbet Seilun as Shiloh based on the biblical description of its location. During the Middle and Late Bronze Age Canaan, Shiloh was a walled city with a religious shrine or sanctuary.

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Related concepts (34)

Eli (biblical figure)

Eli (, ascent; Ἠλί; Heli, 11th century BCE) was, according to the Book of Samuel, a priest and a judge of the Israelites in the city of Shiloh, ancient Israel. When Hannah came to Shiloh to pray for a son, Eli initially accused her of drunkenness, but when she protested her innocence, Eli wished her well. Hannah's eventual child, Samuel, was raised by Eli in the tabernacle. When Eli failed to rein in the abusive behavior of his own sons, God promised to punish his family, which resulted in the death of Eli and his sons.

Shiloh (biblical city)

Gibeon (ancient city)

Gibeon (, Gīḇəʻōn; Γαβαων, Gabaōn) was a Canaanite and later an Israelite city, which was located north of Jerusalem. According to , the pre-Israelite-conquest inhabitants, the Gibeonites, were Hivites; according to , they were Amorites. The remains of Gibeon are located in the southern portion of the Palestinian village of al-Jib. After the destruction of Jericho and Ai, the Hivite people of Gibeon sent ambassadors to trick Joshua and the Israelites into making a treaty with them.