Arad

Arad was a fortified Canaanite royal city in the eastern Negev. When the Israelites approached from Kadesh, the king of Arad attacked them and captured some captives; Israel vowed to destroy Arad's cities, and after God gave them victory they named the place Hormah ("destruction"). (Numbers 21:1-3, Numbers 33:40). Later it was assigned to the territory of Judah (Joshua 12:14). Excavations at Tel Arad have uncovered a unique Israelite sanctuary with an altar and standing stones — one of the only such Israelite worship sites found outside Jerusalem.