Maon
Ma'on (Heb. Maon', מָעוֹן, habitation, as often; Sept. Μαών), the name of a man and of a place. SEE MAONITE.
1. The son of Shammai, of the tribe of Judah and family of Caleb, and the "father" (i.e. founder) of Bethzur (1Ch 2:45). B.C. prob. post 1618.
2. A town in the tribe of Judah (Jos 15:55), which gave name to a wilderness (part of the desert of Judaea), where David hid himself from Saul, and around which the churlish Nabal had great possessions (1Sa 23:24-25; 1Sa 25:2). Josephus calls it Emma (Ε᾿μμᾶ, Ant. 6:13, 6). Eusebius and Jerome place it to the east of Daroma (Onomast. s.v. Μανῶν, Maon). Irby and Mangles were in the neighborhood in 1818, but did not detect this and other ancient names. Robinson finds it in the present lMain, which is about seven miles south by east from Hebron. Here there is a conical hill about 200 feet high, on the top of which are some ruins of no great extent, consisting of foundations of hewn stone, a square enclosure, the remains probably of a tower or castle, and several cisterns. The view from the summit is extensive. The traveler found here a band of peasants keeping their flocks, and dwelling in caves amid the ruins (Bibl. Researches, 2:190-196). With this identification De Saulcy (Narrative, 1:441) and Schwarz (Palestiune, p. 106) agree. SEE MEHUNIM.
