AJALON
“place of the deer.” (a) City of ancient Canaan on the way from the Mediterranean coast to the mountainous region, about 20 km from Jerusalem, already mentioned in the Amarna letters.
It was distributed among the members of the tribe of Dan (Judg. 1:34-35); later it was assigned to the Levites of the family of Kohath (Josh. 21:2-24).
It was part of the forts that surrounded Jerusalem for its defense, and was as such occupied by the Philistines (2 Chron. 11:10; 28:18).
(b) It is the name, also, of a place in the tribe of Zebulun where Judge Elion received burial (Judg. 12:12). Its location is disputed among archaeologists.