The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12,19; 11:3,9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22). Damascus is said to be the oldest existing city in the world. Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Num 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the "treasure cities" of Pithom and Raamses (Exd 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Gen 46:34; 47:1-11). In the kingdom of Og in Bashan there were
sixty "great cities with walls," and twenty-three cities in Gilead partly rebuilt by the tribes on the east of Jordan (Num 21:21,32,33,35; 32:1-3,34-42; Deu 3:4,5,14; 1Ki 4:13). On the west of Jordan were thirty-one "royal cities" (Jos 12), besides many others spoken of in the history of Israel.
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