Taanach

Taanach was an ancient Canaanite royal city in the southwestern plain of Jezreel (Esdraelon), approximately 5 miles southeast of Megiddo. Its king was defeated by Joshua in the conquest (Josh. 12:21). Although assigned to Manasseh, the Canaanites were not immediately expelled (Judg. 1:27). The city is celebrated in Deborah's victory hymn: "the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo" (Judg. 5:19). Solomon placed Taanach in the fifth administrative district governed by Baana (1 Kgs. 4:12). Archaeological excavations at Tel Ta'annek have confirmed a major Bronze and Iron Age city here, yielding the famous "cult stand" and extensive cuneiform tablets.