TAANACH

(Taʹa·nach).

An enclave city of Manasseh in the territory of Issachar (Josh. 17:11; 1 Chron. 7:29) that was assigned to the Kohathite Levites. (Josh. 21:20, 25) Under the command of Joshua, the Israelites defeated the king of Taanach. (Josh. 12:7, 21) But the Manassites failed to drive out the Canaanites from this and other cities. Eventually, however, these Canaanites were put to forced labor. (Judg. 1:27, 28) In the time of Judge Barak the forces of Jabin the king of Hazor, led by his army chief Sisera, were defeated at Taanach. (Judg. 5:19) During Solomon’s reign the city was in the district assigned to Baana, one of the twelve deputies in charge of supplying food for the royal table. (1 Ki. 4:7, 12) Archaeological evidence from Taanach and the relief on a temple wall at Karnak indicate that the city was taken by Pharaoh Shishak when he invaded Palestine in the fifth year of the reign of Solomon’s son and successor Rehoboam.—2 Chron. 12:2-4.

Taanach is identified with Tell Taʽannak, about five miles (8 kilometers) SE of Megiddo and on the S edge of the Plain of Esdraelon. The site occupied an important position on two trade routes, one leading to the Plain of Acco (Acre) and the other to the Plain of Sharon.