Mahaneh-dan

Mahaneh-dan (meaning camp of Dan) is mentioned twice in connection with the tribe of Dan during the period of the judges. Judges 13:25 records that the Spirit of the LORD began to stir Samson at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol — the area in the Shephelah from which Dan had originally come before the northern migration. Judges 18:12 records that the six hundred Danite warriors who set out to find a new territory for the tribe camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah before continuing north, and this campsite was named Mahaneh-dan because the Danites camped there.

The two references are distinct locations bearing the same name, reflecting the common ancient practice of naming campsites after the group that used them. The Shephelah region associated with Samson's early stirrings represents the heartland of Dan's original allotment, which the tribe was unable to fully possess, ultimately driving them north to Laish (Judges 18).