KEILAH (Hebr. 
):
- 1. A city of Judah in the Shephelah, commonly identified with the modern Khurbat Kila, seven miles east of Eleutheropolis. The city is first mentioned in the Bible in the list of Judah's cities "in the valley" (Josh. xv. 44). The city, threatened by the Philistines, was taken by David (I Sam. xxiii. 1-13). Nehemiah (iii. 17, 18) incidentally mentions Keilah, naming among those who assisted in building the wall at Jerusalem the rulers of the two parts into which the city was divided in his day.
- 2. A Garmite (I Chron. iv. 19). His name was more properly Abi-Keilah (Hebr.
). He is mentioned in a chronological list in conjunction with Eshtemoa the Maachathite as a son of Hodiah, the sister of Naham. The passage is obscure; "Garmite" (Hebr. 
) occurs here only.
