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. View
 A fenced city was a city surrounded by fortifications and high walls, with watch-towers upon them (2Ch 11:11; Deu 3:5). There was also within the city generally a tower to which the citizens might flee when danger threatened them (Jdg 9:46-52). View
 A city with suburbs was a city surrounded with open pasture-grounds, such as the forty-eight cities which were given to the Levites (Num 35:2-7). There were six cities of refuge, three on each side of Jordan, namely, Kadesh, Shechem, Hebron, on the west of Jordan; and on the east, Bezer, Ramoth-gilead, and Golan. The cities on each side of the river were nearly opposite each other. The regulations concerning these cities are given in Num 35:9-34; Deu 19:1-13; Exd 21:12-14. View
 When David reduced the fortress of the Jebusites which stood on Mount Zion, he built on the site of it a palace and a city, which he called by his own name (1Ch 11:5), the city of David. Bethlehem is also so called as being David's native town (Luk 2:4). View
 Jerusalem is called the Holy City, the holiness of the temple being regarded as extending in some measure over the whole city (Neh 11:1). View