CABUL (kā'bŭl)

A city of Galilee, mentioned in Josh.19.27 as a border city of the tribe of Asher in the NE of Palestine. It lies between the hills about nine miles (fifteen km.) SE of Acre and is still inhabited.A name given by Hiram of Tyre to a district in northern Galilee, including twenty cities, which Solomon ceded to him (1Kgs.9.13) and which probably included the original Cabul. It seems from 2Chr.8.2 that Hiram (Huram) returned these cities and that Solomon rebuilt them.

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1. A town on E boundary of Asher (Josh 19:27). Perhaps Χαβωλώ in Jos. (Life xliii. 44). Modern Kâbûl nestled among the hills c. four hours (nine m.) ESE of Acre. Cabul is not to be identified with kabura in the Ramses III list (no. 23); kabura is farther S.

2. A district in N Galilee comprising twenty “cities” which Solomon ceded to Hiram (1 Kings 9:13) as partial payment for helping build the Temple at Jerusalem. When Hiram saw this remuneration he was so dissatisfied that he called it “the land of Cabul”—which in popular etymology perhaps meant “good as nothing” (BDB 459), i.e., “worthless.” Since the Phoenicians were a seafaring people it is possible that Hiram preferred coastal towns; or maybe the comparative barrenness of the hill country displeased him; or perhaps the cities were very dilapidated. Hiram (Huram) apparently returned the cities and Solomon rebuilt them (2 Chron 8:2).

Bibliography

B. P. Grenfell and A. S. Hunt (eds.), New Classical Fragments, and other Greek and Latin Papyri, II (1897), 15.3; B. P. Grenfell, A. S. Hunt, and D. G. Hogarth (eds.), Fayûm Towns and their Papyri (1900), 38.6; B. P. Grenfell, A. S. Hunt, and E. J. Goodspeed (eds.), The Tebtunis Papyri, II (1902-1907), 277. 15; Aegyptische Urkunden aus den königlichen Museen zu Berlin: Griechische Urkunden, II (1895-1926), 616.6; ibid., IV, 1049.9; F. M. Abel, Géographie de la Palestine, II (1938), 14, 287.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

(kabhul; Codex Vaticanus, Chobamasomel; Codex Alexandrinus, Chabol apo aristeron):

(1) A city on the boundary between Asher and Zebulun (Jos 19:27). It corresponds to the Chabolo of Josephus (Vita, 43, etc.), and is represented by the modern village Kabul, about nine miles Southeast of Acre.

(2) A district probably connected with (1), containing 20 cities, given by Solomon to Hiram king of Tyre (1Ki 9:10 ff).