Cities of Judah in time of the prophets

During the life of the prophet Jeremiah (about 600's BC), several important cities and small towns surrounded Jerusalem within about 10 miles (16 km). Some of these places played key roles in his message and in the history of Judah.

Tekoa

Tekoa was a small town about 10 miles south of Jerusalem. It was the hometown of the prophet Amos, who lived about 150 years before Jeremiah. Tekoa was built on high ground, making it a good place to watch for enemies. Jeremiah warned people in Tekoa to “sound the alarm” (Jeremiah 6:1) because danger was coming from the north—Babylon’s army was on its way.

Beth-haccherem (Possibly Ein Karem)

Beth-haccherem means "House of the Vineyard," and some believe it was near modern-day Ein Karem, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Jerusalem. This town was also on high ground, making it a good lookout point. Jeremiah told people to light signal fires there to warn of the coming Babylonian attack (Jeremiah 6:1).

Anathoth

Anathoth was just 3 miles northeast of Jerusalem. It was the hometown of Jeremiah and a city for priests. But many people there rejected Jeremiah and even wanted to kill him because of his prophecies (Jeremiah 11:21).

Ramah

Ramah was about 5 miles north of Jerusalem. It became an important place when Babylon captured Jerusalem. The Babylonians gathered prisoners in Ramah before taking them to Babylon. Jeremiah was among them but was later set free there (Jeremiah 40:1). These cities were close to Jerusalem, but in times of war and trouble, even small towns like these played big roles in history.