Aijalom of Zebulun was a city in northern Israel, conquered during the possession of the Promised Land. The city is remembered for by the life stories of the Judge Elom, the tenth Israeli judge.
As it is a smaller city, it had little political, social or military impact within the regional context of its tribe or in Israel as a whole.
History of Aijalom of Zebulun
The city of Aijalom of Zebulun is mentioned only once in the biblical text, because of this the history of the city is scarce and based on the general context of the region.
Zebulun Aijalom Foundation
The city of Aijalom of Zebulun was founded by the Canaanite peoples before the Israeli arrival in the region. due to its irrigated soil, due to its approximation with the Jezreel Valley And the Sea of Galilee, it is believed that the city was built by the peasants who cultivated in the region.
in its beginnings the city was practically agrarian, not having a large army like Haroset-Hagoim, hazor and other neighboring cities. Because of this, it is believed that it did not play a great role in regional geopolitics and has even been despised by other cities and neighboring kingdoms.
Israeli Aijalom Conquest of Zebulun
The city was easily conquered during the campaign of possession of the Promised Land, Canaan, by the Israelite people. According to the accounts of the book of Joshua, the city was attributed to the tribe of Zebulun as an inheritance.
The Bible does not record battles in the region of the city.
Judge Elom and Aijalom of Zebulun
the greatest mention of the city of Aijalom of Zebulom is found in the record of the history of the Judge ELOM, the tenth judge of Israel.
Elom led the judge over ten years from the tribe of Zebulun. Little is mentioned about his period, it is believed that he is little mentioned for having focused more on internal issues of his tribe. issues that had little relevance to Israel as a whole.
The city is mentioned as the place where Judge Elom was buried after his death.
Period of the Israeli monarchy and decline of the city
Unfortunately the city has no more mentions in the rest of the biblical text. It is believed that it ended up being assimilated by another city in the region with more relevance and political power. becoming something similar to a district or a small rural village.
Over time, the city ended up being abandoned and its population migrated to other more important regions, such as Shechem.
Geography and Location of Aijalom of Zebulun
The real location of the ancient city of Aijalom of Zebulun is uncertain, but some believe it is the small village of jalun.
The city is located within the Jezreel Valley, a fertile region and suitable for planting. Because of this, the main economic activity in the city was agriculture, with small rural producers who planted mainly for their subsistence and occasional trade with local villages.
Meaning of the name Aijalom
The name of the city of “Aijalom”, also called “Aijalon”, comes from the Hebrew ayalon which means “place of gazelles”, “place of the doe” or “region of the deer”[2].
Other cities named Aijalom in the Bible
In addition to the city of Aijalom of Zebulun, the Bible cites another city of the same name in the territory of Dan, in the region of sefela. This other city played a greater role within the biblical narrative, being present in the stories of the battles of conquest of the southern region of Israel and in the battles of King Saul against the Philistines.
This other city was an ancient fortress built by the Amorites, or perhaps the Canaanites. The city was widely used for the defense of the territory during antiquity and the beginning of the High Middle Ages.
Learn more
[Podcast] Who were the judges? btcast.
[Vídeo] Judges. Bible Project – Portuguese.
[Vídeo] Ibsã, Elom and Abdomin in the Bible: The Story of the Mysterious Judges of Israel. worship style.
[Vídeo] theological | bible & Theology
Sources
[1] aiyalom. JW.
[2] aiyalom. bible.com.br.
- Aroer – 10 de October de 2025
- Aijalom of Zebulun – 10 de October de 2025
- Aijalom of Dan – 10 de October de 2025