Dan / Laish

Dan is the northern location where Abraham ambushed and routed the coalition of four kings to rescue Lot - marking the furthest extent of the promised land's boundaries. In the military narrative of Abraham's rescue of Lot, Dan serves as the location where the patriarch's small force overtakes and routs the coalition of eastern kings. The Book of Jasher provides tactical detail of the nighttime pursuit and ambush near this northern site, portraying Abraham as a decisive warrior guided by divine purpose. The location marks the northernmost extent of the promised land in the traditions preserved across these texts. Within the broader corpus, the site connects to later narratives of Israel's territorial boundaries and the division of the land among the tribes, as referenced in Jubilees' account of the earth's apportionment among Noah's descendants.

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Region: Earth

Strongest connections in Ancient Text

The Book of Jasher 16

Key Chapters

The Book of Jasher 16 Four Kings with Eight Hundred Thousand Men War against Sodom and the Cities of the Plain, and destroy and plunder their people. Abram, Hearing that Lo... 9 min read

Key Passages

Abraham pursues the kings

The Book of Jasher 16:7-12

And Abram heard this, and he rose up with about three hundred and eighteen men that were with him, and he that night pur...

A⁷nd Abram heard this, and he rose up with about three hundred and eighteen men that were with him, and he that night pursued these kings and smote them, and they all fell before Abram and his men, and there was none remaining but the four kings who fled, and they went each his own road.

⁸ And Abram recovered all the property of Sodom, and he also recovered Lot and his property, his wives and little ones and all belonging to him, so that Lot lacked nothing. ⁹ And when he returned from smiting these kings, he and his men passed the valley of Siddim where the kings had made war together. ¹⁰ And Bera king of Sodom, and the rest of his men that were with him, went out from the lime pits into which they had fallen, to meet Abram and his men. ¹¹ And Adonizedek king of Jerusalem, the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the valley of Melech. ¹² And Adonizedek blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had brought from the spoil of his enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before God.

Did You Know?

Abraham divided his 318 men for a nighttime ambush here, defeating a coalition of four kings.

The site marks the northernmost boundary of the promised land in these traditions.

Abraham's night ambush here demonstrates that small, obedient forces defeat large, corrupt ones.

The site marks Israel's future northern border - Abraham's military action claims future territory.

The victory establishes Abraham as a legitimate political-military figure, not just a wandering nomad.