Place · City
Ai
Also known as Aiath, Aija
Named in 31 verses across 4 books, first in Nehemiah 7:32.
Questions about this
In the Bible
All 1 verse in Nehemiah, in Bible order. Text from the Berean Standard Bible; verse numbers follow the KJV.
Nehemiah
- Nehemiah 7:32
the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
Events here
Events the dataset sets at Ai. Dates follow its Ussher–Jones reckoning (one of several traditional counts), not established history.
- c. 1921 BCAbraham enters Canaan
Dictionary
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), as attached to this record by Theographic. Its geography and “modern” descriptions date from the 1890s. Easton wrote in 1897, and some of his views are now debated.
Read Easton’s entry
One of the royal cities of the Canaanites (Josh. 10:1; Gen. 12:8; 13:3). It was the scene of Joshua’s defeat, and afterwards of his victory. It was the second Canaanite city taken by Israel (Josh. 7:2-5; 8:1-29). It lay rebuilt and inhibited by the Benjamites (Ezra 2:28; Neh. 7:32; 11:31). It lay to the east of Bethel, “beside Beth-aven.” The spot which is most probably the site of this ancient city is Haiyan, 2 miles east from Bethel. It lay up the Wady Suweinit, a steep, rugged valley, extending from the Jordan valley to Bethel.