{
  "id": "dict_002227",
  "term": "Golan",
  "slug": "golan",
  "letter": "G",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Golan is a biblical city in Bashan east of the Jordan River, named in Scripture as one of Israel’s cities of refuge.",
  "simple_one_line": "A city of refuge in Bashan east of the Jordan.",
  "tooltip_text": "Biblical city in Bashan, east of the Jordan, appointed as a city of refuge.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Cities of refuge",
    "Bashan",
    "Manasseh",
    "Joshua",
    "Refuge"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Cities of refuge",
    "Bashan",
    "Manasseh (tribe)",
    "Joshua 20",
    "Joshua 21"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Golan is a place name in the Old Testament, not a theological concept. It was a city in Bashan, east of the Jordan, and is listed among Israel’s cities of refuge.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical city in Bashan; one of the cities of refuge.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Located in Bashan east of the Jordan River",
    "Assigned in the territory associated with Manasseh",
    "Named among the cities of refuge",
    "Illustrates Israel’s legal provision for protection and justice"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Golan is a biblical place name referring to a city in Bashan east of the Jordan River. Scripture lists it among the cities of refuge associated with the territory of Manasseh. It is best treated as a geography entry rather than a theological term.",
  "description_academic_full": "Golan is an Old Testament place name, not a doctrinal category. It refers to a city in Bashan, east of the Jordan River, within the territory associated with the half-tribe of Manasseh. Scripture includes Golan among the cities of refuge, where a person accused of unintentional manslaughter could find protection until a fair legal hearing. The entry is straightforward and does not raise major interpretive questions, but it should be classified as a biblical place rather than as a theological term.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In the Old Testament, cities of refuge were part of Israel’s legal order and were designed to preserve justice while limiting blood vengeance. Golan appears in that setting as one of the designated refuge cities east of the Jordan.",
  "background_historical_context": "Golan stood in Bashan, a region east of the Jordan known in Israel’s settlement history. Its mention reflects the organization of tribal territories and the legal institutions established under Moses and Joshua.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Within ancient Israel, refuge cities served as places of temporary asylum and legal protection. Golan therefore belongs to the broader biblical pattern of restraining vengeance and ensuring due process under covenant law.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Deuteronomy 4:43",
    "Joshua 20:8",
    "Joshua 21:27",
    "1 Chronicles 6:71"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Numbers 35:9-15",
    "Joshua 21:38"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew: גּוֹלָן (Golan). The name is preserved as a place name and is transliterated into English as Golan.",
  "theological_significance": "Golan is significant chiefly because it belonged to the city-of-refuge system, which shows that God’s law made room for protection, restraint of vengeance, and orderly justice.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The refuge-city arrangement reflects a legal principle: accusations must be tested before punishment is carried out. Golan stands within that broader biblical concern for justice tempered by mercy.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Golan as a doctrine or spiritual concept. Its significance comes from its role in Israel’s geography and law, not from later speculation or allegory.",
  "major_views_note": "There is no major interpretive dispute about Golan itself. The main editorial issue is classification: it is a biblical place name, not a theological term.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Golan is not a doctrine-bearing headword. It may be discussed for its connection to justice, refuge, and the Mosaic law, but those themes should not be overstated beyond the biblical data.",
  "practical_significance": "Golan reminds readers that biblical law protected life, required fair process, and limited retaliation. It also illustrates how God’s covenant people were to balance justice with mercy.",
  "meta_description": "Golan is a biblical city in Bashan east of the Jordan and one of Israel’s cities of refuge.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/golan/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/golan.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}