Page 123 - Advanced Bible Geography ebook

Dan

The tribe of Dan occupied two areas. First,
the tribe was assigned an area in what is
called the “Shephelah.” Think of it as low
hill country leading up the mountains of
Judea. Dan’s territory stretched all the
way to the Mediterranean Sea, but the
Philistines had a firm hold on the coastal
lands. Many of the battles between the
Philistines and Israelites took place in the
Shephelah (David fighting Goliath is the
most famous example), so Dan was
constantly on guard and subjected to
attacks on a regular basis.

Dan’s most famous son was The high place of pagan worship at Dan. Once the tribe moved far to the
Samson. In those days, the north, they drifted further and further away from the religious beliefs of
fighting between Israel and the Jerusalem. When the kingdom was divided, Israel’s King Jeroboam
Philistines was fierce, and erected a golden calf at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:25-30).
Samson’s lack of godly integrity
ruined Dan’s chance to take a firm hold of its assigned territory.

Not long after Samson died, the leaders of Dan sought another place to live (Judges 18). Five spies were
sent throughout the land. Far to the north, at the base of Mt. Hermon, the spies found an unprotected
and isolated people. Dan sent an army against the unsuspecting residents of Laish, destroying the
people and their city. The city was rebuilt and renamed “Dan.” A telling moment in this episode comes
when the spies return with a message for their people.

“When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God
has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever.” - Judges 18:10, emphasis added.

Claiming that God had put a different territory in the hands of Dan’s people was a false claim. Dan
was, at that moment, living in the place God had assigned them. Leaving that place would be an act
of direct disobedience and leave Jerusalem vulnerable to attack.

Even so, the people of Israel quickly accepted Dan’s new residence. The standard for describing the
whole of Israel became “from Dan to Beersheba” in the remainder of the Old Testament.

When Jeroboam rebelled and took over leadership of the Northern Kingdom, he set up two golden
calves at Dan and Bethel to keep his people from worshiping in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:25-30)

Interestingly, Dan is missing from the list of Israel’s tribes in Revelation. From a practical standpoint,
Dan’s new position in the far north caused the tribe to be the first to face invading Assyrian and
Babylonian forces from the north. The effort to escape the constant threat of destruction proved to be
disastrous. In time, no tribe faced more violence and deportation than Dan! From a spiritual standpoint,

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