At the end of these years of wanderings, the tribes were a second time gathered together at Kadesh. During their stay here at this time Miriam died and was buried. Here the people murmured for want of water, as their forefathers had done formerly at Rephidim; and Moses, irritated by their chidings, "with his rod smote the rock twice," instead of "speaking to the rock before their eyes," as the Lord had commanded him (comp. Num. 27:14; Deut. 9:23; Ps. 106:32, Ps. 106:33). Because of this act of his, in which Aaron too was involved, neither of them was to be permitted to set foot within the Promised Land ( Num. 20:12,Num. 20:24). The king of Edom would not permit them to pass on through his territory, and therefore they commenced an eastward march, and "came unto Mount Hor" ( Num 20:22).

This place has been identified with 'Ain el-Kadeis, about 12 miles east-south-east of Beersheba. (See SPIES.)

Kadesh - the sacred city of the Hittites, on the left bank of the Orontes, about 4 miles south of the Lake of Homs. It is identified with the great mound Tell Neby Mendeh, some 50 to 100 feet high, and 400 yards long. On the ruins of the temple of Karnak, in Egypt, has been found an inscription recording the capture of this city by Rameses II. (See PHARAOH.) Here the sculptor "has chiselled in deep work on the stone, with a bold execution of the several parts, the procession of the warriors, the battle before Kadesh, the storming of the fortress, the overthrow of the enemy, and the camp life of the Egyptians." (See HITTITES.)

Kadmiel - before God; i.e., his servant, one of the Levites who returned with Zerubbabel from the Captivity ( Neh. 9:4;Neh 10:9;Neh 12:8).

Kadmonites - Orientals, the name of a Canaanitish tribe which inhabited the north-eastern part of Palestine in the time of Abraham ( Gen. 15:19). Probably they were identical with the "children of the east," who inhabited the country between Palestine and the Euphrates.

Kanah - reedy; brook of reeds. (1.) A stream forming the boundary between Ephraim and Manasseh, from the Mediterranean eastward to Tappuah ( Josh. 16:8). It has been identified with the sedgy streams that constitute the Wady Talaik, which enters the sea between Joppa and Caesarea. Others identify it with the river' Aujeh.

(2.) A town in the north of Asher ( Josh. 19:28). It has been identified with 'Ain-Kana, a village on the brow of a valley some 7 miles south-east of Tyre. About a mile north of this place are many colossal ruins strown about. And in the side of a neighbouring ravine are figures of men, women, and children cut in the face of the rock. These are supposed to be of Phoenician origin.

Kareah - bald, the father of Johanan and Jonathan, who for a time were loyal to Gedaliah, the Babylonian governor of Jerusalem ( Jer. 40:8,Jer. 40:13,Jer. 40:15,Jer. 40:16).

Karkaa - a floor; bottom, a place between Adar and Azmon, about midway between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea ( Josh. 15:3).

Karkor - foundation, a place in the open desert wastes on the east of Jordan ( Judg. 8:10), not far beyond Succoth and Penuel, to the south. Here Gideon overtook and routed a fugitive band of Midianites under Zeba and Zalmunna, whom he took captive.

Kartah - city, a town in the tribe of Zebulun assigned to the Levites of the family of Merari ( Josh. 21:34). It is identical with Kattath ( Josh 19:15), and perhaps also with Kitron ( Judg. 1:30).

Kartan - double city, a town of Naphali, assigned to the Gershonite Levites, and one of the cities of refuge ( Josh. 21:32). It was probably near the north-western shore of the Sea of Tiberias, identical with the ruined village el-Katanah.

Kattath - ( Josh. 19:15), a town of Asher, has been identified with Kana el Jelil. (See CANA.)

Kedar - dark-skinned, the second son of Ishmael ( Gen. 25:13).

It is the name for the nomadic tribes of Arabs, the Bedouins generally ( Isa. 21:16;Isa 42:11;Isa 60:7; Jer. 2:10; Ezek. 27:21), who dwelt in the north-west of Arabia. They lived in black hair-tents ( Cant. 1:5). To "dwell in the tents of Kedar" was to be cut off from the worship of the true God ( Ps. 120:5). The Kedarites suffered at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar ( Jer. 49:28,Jer. 49:29).

Kedemah - eastward, the last-named of the sons of Ishmael ( Gen. 25:15).

Kedemoth - beginnings; easternmost, a city of Reuben, assigned to the Levites of the family of Merari ( Josh. 13:18). It lay not far north-east of Dibon-gad, east of the Dead Sea.

Kedesh - sanctuary. (1.) A place in the extreme south of Judah ( Josh. 15:23). Probably the same as Kadesh-barnea (q.v.).

(2.) A city of Issachar (1 Chr. 6:72). Possibly Tell Abu Kadeis, near Lejjun.

(3.) A "fenced city" of Naphtali, one of the cities of refuge ( Josh. 19:37; Judg. 4:6). It was assigned to the Gershonite Levites ( Josh. 21:32). It was originally a Canaanite royal city ( Josh. 12:22), and was the residence of Barak ( Judg. 4:6); and here he and Deborah assembled the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali before the commencement of the conflict with Sisera in the plain of Esdraelon, "for Jehovah among the mighty" (9, 10). In the reign of Pekah it was taken by Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kings 15:29). It was situated near the "plain" (rather "the oak") of Zaanaim, and has been identified with the modern Kedes, on the hills fully four miles north-west of Lake El Huleh.

It has been supposed by some that the Kedesh of the narrative, where Barak assembled his troops, was not the place in Upper Galilee so named, which was 30 miles distant from the plain of Esdraelon, but Kedish, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, 12 miles from Tabor.

Kedron - the valley, now quite narrow, between the Mount of Olives and Mount Moriah. The upper part of it is called the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The LXX., in 1 Kings 15:13, translate "of the cedar." The word means "black," and may refer to the colour of the water or the gloom of the ravine, or the black green of the cedars which grew there. John 18:1, "Cedron," only here in New Testament. (See KIDRON.)

Kehelathah - assembly, one of the stations of the Israelites in the desert ( Num. 33:22,Num. 33:23).

Keilah - citadel, a city in the lowlands of Judah ( Josh. 15:44). David rescued it from the attack of the Philistines (1 Sam. 23:1-8); but the inhabitants proving unfaithful to him, in that they sought to deliver him up to Saul (13), he and his men "departed from Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go." They fled to the hill Hareth, about 3 miles to the east, and thence through Hebron to Ziph (q.v.). "And David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in a wood" (1 Sam. 23:15). Here Jonathan sought him out, "and strengthened his hand in God." This was the last interview between David and Jonathan 1 Sam 23:16-18). It is the modern Khurbet Kila. Others identify it with Khuweilfeh, between Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) and Beersheba, mentioned in the Amarna tablets.

Kelita - dwarf, a Levite who assisted Ezra in expounding the law to the people ( Neh. 8:7;Neh 10:10).

Kemuel - helper of God, or assembly of God. (1.) The third son of Nahor ( Gen. 22:21).

(2.) Son of Shiphtan, appointed on behalf of the tribe of Ephraim to partition the land of Canaan ( Num. 34:24).

(3.) A Levite (1 Chr. 27:17).

Kenath - possession, a city of Gilead. It was captured by Nobah, who called it by his own name ( Num. 32:42). It has been identified with Kunawat, on the slopes of Jebel Hauran (Mount Bashan), 60 miles east from the south end of the Sea of Galilee.

Kenaz - hunter. (1.) One of the sons of Eliphaz, the son of Esau. He became the chief of an Edomitish tribe ( Gen. 36:11,Gen. 36:15,Gen. 36:42).

(2.) Caleb's younger brother, and father of Othniel ( Josh. 15:17), whose family was of importance in Israel down to the time of David (1 Chr. 27:15). Some think that Othniel ( Judg. 1:13), and not Kenaz, was Caleb's brother.

(3.) Caleb's grandson (1 Chr. 4:15).

Kenites - smiths, the name of a tribe inhabiting the desert lying between southern Palestine and the mountains of Sinai. Jethro was of this tribe ( Judg. 1:16). He is called a "Midianite" ( Num. 10:29), and hence it is concluded that the Midianites and the Kenites were the same tribe. They were wandering smiths, "the gipsies and travelling tinkers of the old Oriental world. They formed an important guild in an age when the art of metallurgy was confined to a few" (Sayce's Races, etc.). They showed kindness to Israel in their journey through the wilderness. They accompanied them in their march as far as Jericho ( Judg. 1:16), and then returned to their old haunts among the Amalekites, in the desert to the south of Judah. They sustained afterwards friendly relations with the Israelites when settled in Canaan ( Judg. 4:11,Judg. 4:17-21; 1 Sam. 27:10;1 Sam 30:29). The Rechabites belonged to this tribe (1 Chr. 2:55) and in the days of Jeremiah 1 Chr 35:7-10) are referred to as following their nomad habits. Saul bade them depart from the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:6) when, in obedience to the divine commission, he was about to "smite Amalek." And his reason is, "for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." Thus "God is not unrighteous to forget the kindnesses shown to his people; but they shall be remembered another day, at the farthest in the great day, and recompensed in the resurrection of the just" (M. Henry's Commentary). They are mentioned for the last time in Scripture in 1 Sam. 27:10; comp. 30:20.

Kenizzite - (1.) The name of a tribe referred to in the covenant God made with Abraham ( Gen. 15:19). They are not mentioned among the original inhabitants of Canaan ( Ex. 3:8; Josh. 3:10), and probably they inhabited some part of Arabia, in the confines of Syria.

(2.) A designation given to Caleb (R.V., Num. 32:12; A.V., Kenezite).

Kerchief - mentioned only Ezek. 13:18, Ezek. 13:21, as an article of apparel or ornament applied to the head of the idolatrous women of Israel. The precise meaning of the word is uncertain. It appears to have been a long loose shawl, such as Oriental women wrap themselves in ( Ruth 3:15; Isa. 3:22). Some think that it was a long veil or head-dress, denoting by its form the position of those who wore it.