DAN-JAAN

Geographical landmark denoting the northern limit of David’s kingdom (2 Sm 24:6). Joab’s census taking stopped here. Some think this is a copyist’s error, because no town with a similar name is known to have existed in that area. Others believe that it means “Dan in the wood,” referring simply to Dan (see rsv). Still others think it refers to a town within Dan, perhaps Jaan, of which all traces have vanished.