Kedesh
/ˈkɛdɛʃ/noun
A biblical place name, especially a city of refuge in the territory of Naphtali in ancient Israel.
Did you know?Kedesh shares the Hebrew Q-D-Sh root with terms such as Kiddush and Kaddish, all connected to sanctification or sacredness—not with the English word “holy,” which has a different origin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-d-š
“A root associated with holiness, consecration, or separation for sacred use.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
קֶדֶשׁ (qéḏeš)
“A holy place, sanctuary, or sacred site.”
Iron Age
Hebrew
קֶדֶשׁ (Qedesh)
“A place name used for several biblical locations, including a city in northern Israel.”
Septuagint era
Greek
Κεδές (Kedés)
“Greek transliteration of the biblical place name Kedesh.”
Vulgate era
Latin
Cedes
“Latin biblical rendering of the place name.”
Modern English
English
Kedesh
“A biblical proper name, commonly referring to the city of refuge in Naphtali.”