Ai

Ai was a Canaanite city located near Bethel, east of Jerusalem. It is first mentioned in Genesis 12:8 and 13:3, where Abraham built an altar between Bethel and Ai. During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua sent spies to Ai, who reported that the city was small and could be easily defeated (Joshua 7:2-3). However, the Israelites were initially defeated because of Achan's sin (Joshua 7:4-5).

After dealing with Achan, Joshua set an ambush and conquered Ai, killing its inhabitants and burning the city (Joshua 8). The king of Ai was hanged, and a heap of stones was raised over his body (Joshua 8:29). The conquest of Ai opened the way for the Israelites to advance into the heart of Canaan (Joshua 9:3; 10:1-2). Ai is listed among the cities defeated by Joshua (Joshua 12:9).

After the Babylonian exile, some people from Ai returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 2:28; Nehemiah 7:32). Ai was resettled by the Benjamites (Nehemiah 11:31). The city is also mentioned in Isaiah 10:28 as part of a prophetic description of the Assyrian invasion of Judah. The exact location of Ai is debated, but it is generally identified with et-Tell, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Bethel.