Aijalon

William Smith's Bible Dictionary

Or Ajalon


(place of gazelles).

• A city of the Kohathites. (Joshua 21:24; 1 Chronicles 6:69) It was a Levitical city and a city of refuge. It was originally allotted to the tribe of Dan, (Joshua 19:42) Authorized Version, AJALON, which tribe, however, was unable to dispossess the Amorites of the place. (Judges 1:35) Aijalon was one of the towns fortified by Reheboam, (2 Chronicles 11:10) and the last we hear of it is being in the hands of the Philistines. (2 Chronicles 28:18) Being on the very frontier of the two kingdoms, we can understand how Aijalon should be spoken of sometimes, (1 Chronicles 6:69) comp. with 1Chr 6:66 As in Ephraim and sometimes, (2 Chronicles 11:10; 1 Samuel 14:31) as in Judah and Benjamin. It is represented by the modern Yalo, a little to the north of the Jaffa road, about 14 miles out of Jerusalem.

• A broad and beautiful valley near the city of Aijalon over which Joshua commanded the moon to stand still during the pursuit after the battle of Gibeon. (Joshua 10:12)

• A place in Zebulon, mentioned as the burial-place of Elon, one of the Judges. (Judges 12:12)