Ijon

Ijon is a town in the territory of Naphtali, in northern Israel, named in scripture only in connection with two foreign incursions — the first by Ben-hadad of Damascus at the request of Asa of Judah, the second by Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. In every appearance the town heads a list of captured Naphtalite places.

Struck by Ben-hadad at Asa's Request

When Asa of Judah sends silver and gold to Ben-hadad to break the alliance with Baasha of Israel, Ben-hadad's army moves against the north: "And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali" (1 Ki 15:20). Ijon stands at the head of the list, paired with Dan and Abel-beth-maacah and the larger Naphtali region.

The Chronicler's parallel account gives the same campaign with a slight variation: "And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali" (2 Chr 16:4). The towns named are the same (Abel-maim is the same place as Abel-beth-maacah), and Ijon is again first.

Taken by Tiglath-pileser

A century and a half later, when Pekah is king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser of Assyria sweeps the same northern territory. "In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria" (2 Ki 15:29). Ijon again leads the list, and the larger account ends with the deportation of the inhabitants.

The fixed order — Ijon first, then Abel-beth-maacah, then the rest of Naphtali — preserves the town's position as a northern frontier point, the first place an army moving south from Damascus or from the Assyrian highway would strike.