Makkedah: Herdsman's place, one of the royal cities of the Canaanites
(Joshua 12:16)
near which was a cave where the five kings who had confederated
against Israel sought refuge
(Joshua 10:10-29) They were put to death by
Joshua, who afterwards suspended their bodies upon five trees. It has
been identified with the modern village called Sumeil, standing on a
low hill about 7 miles to the north-west of Eleutheropolis (Beit
Jibrin), where are ancient remains and a great cave. The Palestine
Exploration surveyors have, however, identified it with el-Mughar, or
"the caves," 3 miles from Jabneh and 2 1/2 southwest of Ekron,
because, they say, "at this site only of all possible sites for
Makkedah in the Palestine plain do caves still exist."
