The place where Joshua (Joshua 10:10; Joshua 10:16-28) executed the five confederate kings in the afternoon of the 24 hours' day on which he won the victory at Bethhoron. The cave where they hid was a well known one close to Makkedah (the article, "the cave," in the Hebrew shows this). Joshua first made his captains put their feet upon the five kings' necks (Psalm 149:8-9; Malachi 4:3) to assure them by this earnest of their future success under God, then executed them deliberately and judicially, and left them hanging to five trees until evening in sight of the defenders of Makkedah so as to strike terror into the enemy.
        Next he took Makkedah and smote its king and all its inhabitants. Makkedah was in the shephelah or "low hilly region" (not "valley" as KJV); Joshua 15:33-41. El Mughar (Arabic, "the caves") village probably now represents Makkedah, at about eight miles' distance from Ramleh. Joshua 15:41 names Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naameh, and Makkedah together, corresponding respectively to Kutrah, Beit Dejan, Nyaneh, and Mug hat; Kutrah and Mughar near together, Nyaneh six miles N.E., Belt Dejan 12 miles to the N.