AIJALON (ā'ja-lōn, Heb. ’ayyālôn, place of gazelles)

A city of Dan (Josh.19.42), assigned to the Levite sons of Kohath (1Chr.6.69). It is mentioned most notably in the memorable words of Joshua, “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon” (Josh.10.12). It is identified with the modern Yalo, fourteen miles (twenty-two km.) from Jerusalem, north of the Jaffa road.The burial place of the judge Elon, in Zebulun (Judg.12.12).

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AIJALON ā’ jə lŏn (אַיָּלֹֽון, LXX Αἰλών place of the deer). Also AJALON ăj’ ă lŏn. 1. A town on a hill overlooking the Valley of Aijalon between Jericho and the Mediterranean Sea and known as Yalo in modern times. Some remains of the town from c. 2000 b.c. have been found at Tell el-Qoq’a. The town is mentioned in the 14th and 15th cent. b.c. Amarna letters as Aialuna (e.g. EA, no. 273).

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2. A town in Zebulun, mentioned only in Judges 12:12, the location of which is unknown. The judge Elon (אַיָּלֹ֖ון) is said to have been buried there. The LXX here translates Αἰλὼμ.

Bibliography

HGHL (1931²⁵), passim; F. M. Abel, Geographie de la Palestine, II (1938), 241; GTT (1959), 205; Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible (1967), passim. On 2. see JPOS, IX (1929), 38ff.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

(’ayyalon, "deerplace"; the King James Version, Ajalon (Jos 10:12)):

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(2) A town in the tribe of Zebulun, site unknown, where Elon the judge was buried (Jud 12:12).