JUSTUS

(Jusʹtus) [just].

1. The surname of Joseph Barsabbas. Justus and Matthias were the two candidates suggested as possible replacements for Judas Iscariot as an apostle. The lot fell to Matthias. Even though Justus was not chosen, his being considered for the office shows he was a mature disciple of Jesus Christ.—Acts 1:23-26.

2. A Corinthian believer whose home adjoined the synagogue. Due to Jewish opposition, Paul “transferred” to the house of Titius Justus, that is, he continued his preaching there; his residence remained with Aquila and Priscilla.—Acts 18:1-7.

3. A Jewish fellow worker of the apostle Paul. Justus, also called Jesus, was one of those who strengthened Paul during his first imprisonment in Rome, and sent along his greetings to the Colossians.—Col. 4:10, 11.

JUTTAH

(Jutʹtah) [extended, inclined].

A site in the mountainous region of Judah given to the “sons of Aaron” as a priestly city. (Josh. 15:20, 48, 55; 21:13, 16) Juttah has been linked with modern Yatta, situated on a ridge about five and a half miles (9 kilometers) S of Hebron.

KABZEEL

(Kabʹze·el) [gathering of God, or, God gathers].

A city in the southern part of Judah. (Josh. 15:21) It is sometimes identified with Khirbet Hora, about ten miles (16 kilometers) NE of Beersheba. The Hebrew text of 2 Samuel 23:20 and 1 Chronicles 11:22 has been variously understood to mean that Kabzeel was (1) the home of the distinguished warrior Benaiah or (2) of one of his ancestors or the place where such a one performed notable deeds, or (3) that it was the scene for Benaiah’s many deeds. (Compare AS; AV; JB; Le; NW; RS.) An alternate form, “Jekabzeel,” appears at Nehemiah 11:25 in a listing of postexilic settlements in Judah.

KADESH

(Kaʹdesh) [holy, sanctified], Kadesh-barnea (Kaʹdesh-barʹne·a).

An Israelite wilderness encampment situated at the extremity of Edomite territory near the “way to Shur,” perhaps the modern Darb el-Shur extending from Hebron to Egypt. (Gen. 16:7, 14; Num. 20:14-16 [Hebrew ʽir (city) at Numbers 20:16 may simply mean encampment; compare Numbers 13:19.]) Apparently eleven days’ travel distance by way of Mount Seir separated Kadesh-barnea from Horeb.—Deut. 1:2.

Kadesh is spoken of as being located in both the wilderness of Paran and that of Zin. Possibly Zin and Paran were adjoining wildernesses that met at Kadesh and, therefore, the site could be referred to as lying in either wilderness. Or, the wilderness of Zin may have been part of the larger wilderness of Paran. (Num. 13:26; 20:1) In Abraham’s time the place was known both as En-mishpat and as Kadesh. (Gen. 14:7; 20:1) It is perhaps the same site as Kedesh.—Josh. 15:21, 23.

ʽAin Qedeis, about fifty miles (80 kilometers) S-SE of Beer-sheba, has been suggested as a possible identification for Kadesh. In the midst of a desolate wilderness (compare Deuteronomy 1:19), the pure and sweet water of the spring at Qedeis supports an oasis of grass, shrubs and trees. There are also two other springs in the vicinity, ʽAin el-Qudeirat and ʽAin Qoseimeh. Today the largest of the three springs is ʽAin el-Qudeirat, and for this reason some favor identifying it with Kadesh-barnea. However, ʽAin Qedeis is the most easterly spring. Consequently, the identification of ʽAin Qedeis with Kadesh-barnea seems to be more in line with the description of the E-W course of Canaan’s southern boundary: Kadesh-barnea (ʽAin Qedeis?), Hazzar-addar (ʽAin el-Qudeirat?) and Azmon (ʽAin Qoseimeh?). If the Israelites did encamp in this area, they doubtless used all three springs.—Num. 34:3-5; see ADDAR No. 2; AZMON.

In the second year after their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites pulled away from Hazeroth and encamped at Kadesh-barnea. (Compare Numbers 10:11, 12, 33, 34; 12:16; 13:26.) Moses then sent twelve men to spy out the Promised Land. Ten of these spies brought back a bad report, resulting in rebellious murmurings among the Israelites. Jehovah, therefore, sentenced the nation to wander in the wilderness. Israel’s subsequent attempt to take Canaan without divine approval and direction brought humiliating defeat. (Num. 13:1-16, 25-29; 14:1-9, 26-34, 44, 45; 32:7-13; Deut. 1:41-45) For some time thereafter the Israelites stayed at Kadesh-barnea. (Deut. 1:46) But it was not Jehovah’s purpose for them to remain there. Earlier he had said to them: “While the Amalekites and the Canaanites are dwelling in the low plain, you people make a turn tomorrow [a Hebrew idiom meaning “later on,” as at Exodus 13:14] and pull away to march to the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.”—Num. 14:25.

Accordingly, the Israelites left Kadesh-barnea and walked about in the wilderness for thirty-eight years. (Deut. 2:1, 14) It seems that during these years they spent time at some eighteen different places, this being the number of camp stages listed after the Israelites left Hazeroth. (Compare Numbers 12:16–13:3, 25, 26; 33:16-36.) Although Israel encamped at Kadesh after departing from Hazeroth, Numbers 33:18 does not mention Kadesh after Hazeroth. This may have been an intentional omission or perhaps, as some have suggested in the past, Kadesh may be the same as Rithmah.

Finally the Israelites appear to have returned to Kadesh in the first month of the fortieth year after the Exodus. (Num. 20:1; 33:36-39) Moses’ sister Miriam died there. Later, Moses and Aaron lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land for failing to sanctify Jehovah in connection with the miraculous provision of water for the Israelites encamped at Kadesh. From there Moses subsequently asked Edom’s permission to pass through its territory. (Num. 20:1-17) This request was denied, and seemingly the Israelites remained a while longer at Kadesh (Num. 20:18; Judg. 11:16, 17) before moving on toward the Promised Land by way of Mount Hor. (Num. 20:22; 33:37) When they reached the plains of Moab E of the Jordan, Jehovah designated Kadesh-barnea as a part of the southern border of the Promised Land. (Num. 33:50; 34:4) Later, the Israelites under Joshua conquered the area extending from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza (Josh. 10:41), and Kadesh-barnea came to be on the southern boundary of Judah.—Josh. 15:1-4.

Psalm 29:8 speaks of Jehovah’s voice as causing the wilderness of Kadesh ‘to writhe.’ The allusion may be to a violent storm that rushes from the mountains of the N to the region of Kadesh in the S and there blows about the sands in such a way as to give the appearance of a writhing wilderness.

KADMIEL

(Kadʹmi·el) [God is the ancient One, or, God goes before].

A Levite returning to Jerusalem (with Zerubbabel) accompanied by members of his family. (Ezra 2:1, 2, 40; Neh. 7:6, 7, 43; 12:1, 8, 24) “Kadmiel and his sons” helped supervise the temple reconstruction.—Ezra 3:9.

The time period involved between the return from Babylonian exile (537 B.C.E.) and the confession of the nation’s sins against Jehovah (Neh. 9:4, 5), followed by the attesting by seal of the “trustworthy arrangement” in Nehemiah’s day (455 B.C.E.) (Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 9, 10), does not allow the same Kadmiel to be identified with all these affairs. No doubt a representative of Kadmiel’s house participated in these latter two events.