Tell Maon
# Tell Maon

Tell Maon (Arabic: Khirbet Ma'in) was an ancient town in the Hebron Hills, formerly known simply as Maon (Hebrew: מעון), rising 863 metres (2,831 ft) above sea level. The town, now a ruin, is mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 15:55 and the Books of Samuel (1 Samuel 25:2). It still had a Jewish population during the Roman and Byzantine periods, and a synagogue was discovered there. The site is located about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southeast of Yatta.

## History

The site is first mentioned as one of the cities of Judah. Maon was the place of birth of Nabal the Carmelite. In 1 Samuel 23:24–25, "the wilderness of Maon" is mentioned as a place of refuge for David when he fled from king Saul. The site is not referred to again in biblical sources, and only after the destruction of the Second Temple is there a reference to the site again, where Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai is said to have gone up to Maon of Judah.

In the early 4th-century CE, Maon was mentioned in Eusebius' Onomasticon as being "in the tribe of Judah; in the east of Daroma." The name "Darom" (Arabic: ad-Darum) literally means "south," but in relation to the rest of Palestine it had the general connotation of the immediate territory in and around Bayt Jibrin (Eleutheropolis), as evinced by Al-Muqaddasi.

## Archaeology

A synagogue dating back to the Talmudic period was discovered at Tell Maon. Archaeologists have also discovered at the site potsherds dating back to the early Bronze Age, as well as from the Israelite period (where jar handles were found bearing the paleo-Hebrew inscription LMLK (= "for the king") and from the Hellenistic period. Shards have also been found in situ from the Roman and Byzantine periods, and from the Middle Ages.

C.R. Conder of the Palestine Exploration Fund visited the site in 1874, during which time a brief description was written of the site:

   Tell Maʻîn –– A mound some 100 feet high. On the west are foundations, caves, and cisterns, and foundations of a tower about 20 feet square. The masonry in this tower is large, with a broad irregular draft and a rustic boss. One stone was 3 feet 8 inches long, 2 feet 9 inches high, the draft about 3 inches wide. There is also a round well-mouth, 5 feet diameter, cut out of a single stone.

## Modern era

Tell Maon is situated SE of the Arab town of Yatta, on the north side of regional highway 317. Today, on the northern slope of the Tell are settled several families who have recently moved there from Yatta.

