LIBNAH

(Libʹnah) [from a root meaning “white”; or, possibly, “storax tree”].

1. An Israelite wilderness encampment. Its location is unknown.​—Nu 33:20, 21.

2. A royal Canaanite city taken by Joshua before the conquest of Lachish. (Jos 10:29-32, 39; 12:15) Libnah was one of the cities in the territory of Judah given to “the sons of Aaron.” (Jos 15:21, 42; 21:13; 1Ch 6:57) Centuries later King Josiah’s father-in-law lived there.​—2Ki 23:31; 24:18; Jer 52:1.

At the time of the Edomite revolt in the tenth century B.C.E., Libnah also rebelled against Judean King Jehoram. (2Ki 8:22; 2Ch 21:10) In 732 B.C.E., Assyrian King Sennacherib’s army moved from Lachish to Libnah. He had sent a military detachment from Lachish to threaten Jerusalem. While at Libnah, the Assyrians received reports that Tirhakah the king of Ethiopia intended to fight them. Therefore, Sennacherib, to encourage Jerusalem’s surrender, sent messengers a second time with intimidating letters to Hezekiah the king of Judah. Subsequently Jehovah’s angel slew 185,000 of the Assyrian host, apparently still encamped near Libnah.​—2Ki 19:8-35; Isa 37:8-36.

Tell es-Safi has been suggested as a possible identification of ancient Libnah. However, since the weight of evidence points to identifying Tell es-Safi with Gath, contemporary scholars tend to identify Libnah with Tell Bornat (Tel Burena), about 8 km (5 mi) NNE of Lachish.