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Bible Dictionaries
Cities
People's Dictionary of the Bible
Cities. The distinction of villages from towns, and of towns from cities is not very clearly marked in Scripture. The earliest notice of city building is of Enoch by Cain, in the land of his exile. Genesis 4:17. After the confusion of tongues the descendants of Nimrod founded Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, and Asshur, a branch from the same stock, built Nineveh, Rehoboth-by-the-river, Calah and Resen, the last being "a great city." The earliest description of a city, properly so called, is that of Sodom. Genesis 19:1-22. Even before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt, Genesis 12:14-15; Numbers 13:22, and the Israelites, during their sojourn there, were employed in building or fortifying the "treasure cities" of Pithom and Raamses. Exodus 1:11. Fenced cities, fortified with high walls, Deuteronomy 3:5, were occupied and perhaps partly rebuilt after the conquest, by the settled inhabitants of Syria on both sides of the Jordan.
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Cities'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​rpd/​c/cities.html. 1893.