Places in the Bible · Region

Abilene

Abilene is a region mentioned in 1 verse. Its most likely location is Abilene. The name means “the father of mourning.”

panorama of Souq Wadi Barada
panorama of Souq Wadi Barada · Photo: Detroit Publishing Co. (PD), via Wikimedia Commons

Where is Abilene?

Approx. 33.6267, 36.1058 · OpenStreetMap · Google Maps

Possible modern locations

IdentificationTypeConfidence
AbileneregionHigh

Abilene in the Bible dictionary

A plain, a district lying on the east slope of the Anti-Lebanon range; so called from its chief town, Abila (Luke 3:1), which stood in the Suk Wady Barada, between Heliopolis (Baalbec) and Damascus, 38 miles from the former and 18 from the latter. Lysanias was governor or tetrarch of this province.

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), public domain. Full dictionary entry →

Verses that mention Abilene

  • Luke 3:1

    Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,