Bible Dictionaries
Dor

Holman Bible Dictionary

(dawr) Place name meaning, “dwelling.” Canaanite city located at modern khirbet el-Burj, twelve miles south of Mount Carmel. Its early history shows connections with Egypt under Rameses II and with the Sea Peoples, who are closely related to the Philistines. Apparently the Tjeker, one of the Sea Peoples, destroyed the city shortly after 1300 B.C. Its king joined the northern coalition against Joshua (Joshua 11:2; Joshua 12:23 ) but met defeat. The Hebrew expression here, “Naphoth Dor ,” or heights of Dor is unexpected, since Dor lies on the seacoast. The reference must be to Mount Carmel. Dor lay in the territory assigned Asher, but the tribe of Manasseh claimed it (Joshua 17:11 ). The Canaanites maintained political control (Joshua 17:12; Judges 1:27 ). Dor served as a district headquarters under Solomon, governed by Solomon's son-in-law Ben-abinadab (1 Kings 4:11 ).