Encyclopedia entry · Place
Achshaph
Achshaph was a Canaanite royal city in the western Galilee, named three times in Joshua: in 11:1 as one of the cities Jabin king of Hazor summoned for the northern coalition against Joshua; in 12:20 in the list of thirty-one kings the Israelites defeated; and in 19:25 as one of the cities allotted to the tribe of Asher in the tribal land division.
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The city's Hebrew name appears to derive from kashaph, to practice sorcery — a notable etymology for a Canaanite cult center. Outside scripture, Achshaph is attested in the Egyptian execration texts (c. 1900 BC) and in the Amarna letters (c. 1350 BC), confirming its importance in the Late Bronze Age. Modern identification is debated; Tell Keisan in the Acco plain is the most-cited candidate, though Tell Berweh and Khirbet el-Harbaj have also been proposed.
Source · AI-drafted from biblical text and standard reference works (Smith's, Easton's, ISBE) — verify and refine against authoritative sources before publication.