MAON. - A city of the tribe of Judah. Mentioned together with Carmel and Ziph in Jos. 15:55, it is commonly identified with modern-day Tell Mâ’in, located not far from the two localities and 14 km from Hebron (q.v.). The city gave its name to the nearby desert, i.e., a semi-uninhabited area used for pasture, which is part of the Judean desert. The site is especially known for the deeds of David fleeing from Saul (1 Sam. 23:24-28) and for his encounter with Nabal the Calebite, whose wife Abigail he later married (ibid. 25:1-42).
In the early Christian period, M. was inhabited by Christians and Jews, though no remains of churches are found there, as in neighboring localities. Instead, many remains of houses, rock-hewn cisterns, and caves are visible on the western slope of the tell, along with a tower built of hewn and bossed stones (measuring 7x8 m) at the highest point, suggesting that the place was once of some importance. Megalithic remains, in the form of large paths and circles, have also been noted, leading some to think of a "high place" of worship.