Ono

Ono is a Benjamite town, paired with Lod in two of its three appearances. Its building is credited to descendants of Elpaal in the genealogies; in Nehemiah it is named once as the place Sanballat tried to lure Nehemiah to, and once as a settlement reoccupied after the exile.

Built by the sons of Elpaal

The Benjamite genealogy credits the founding of Ono to a clan-line descending from Elpaal: "And the sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with its towns" (1 Chr 8:12). Ono and Lod stand together; both are the work of the same family.

The plain of Ono

When Sanballat and Geshem try to draw Nehemiah away from Jerusalem, they propose Ono as a meeting site: "that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in [one of] the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do mischief to me" (Neh 6:2). The text names the location "plain of Ono" and discloses the trap before Nehemiah responds.

Resettled after the exile

In the list of post-exilic Benjamite settlements the town reappears with its companion: "Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen" (Neh 11:35). The added phrase "valley of craftsmen" attaches a trade-character to the locale.