Cities of Refuge

The Conquest & the Judges

Cities of Refuge

Three cities west of the Jordan and three east, spaced so that no one was ever far from a place where a killing could be judged rather than avenged. That is the whole idea, and it is a startling one for the ancient world: even a man with blood on his hands got a hearing before he got a verdict.

The six cities of refugeOriginal map of the six cities of refuge named in Joshua 20 – Kedesh, Shechem and Hebron west of the Jordan, Golan, Ramoth Gilead and Bezer east of it – with the country each one served.The Great SeaSea ofGalileeSaltSeaRiver JordanKedeshShechemHebronGolanRamoth GileadBezerDanJerusalemJerichoBeershebaGazaJoppaMegiddoBeth ShanRabbahDibonSamariaTyreCity of refugeAbout a day’s journey awayOther cityThree west of the Jordan and three east, so that no one was ever farfrom a place where a killing could be judged rather than avenged.Joshua 20; Numbers 35:9–3425 milesN
The six cities of refuge, and the country each one served — Joshua 20.

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.

All Scripture marked with the designation “GW”, or labelled “God’s Word”, is taken from GOD’S WORD®. © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. Used by permission.

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