Lexical Definition

‎עַי‎ ʻAy (ah'ee) Ai ^N:N--L
or (feminine) עַיָּא ʻAyâʼ (ah-yaw'); (Nehemiah 11:31), or עַיָּת ʻAyâth (ah-yawth'); (Isaiah 10:28), for ‎עִי‎

Ai, Aija, Aijath, Hai.

• § Ai or Aija or Aiath or Hai = "heap of ruins"
• Ai, Aja or Ajath, a place in Palestine

1) a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the second city taken on the invasion of Canaan
2) a city of the Ammonites on the east of the Jordan and apparently attached to Heshbon

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎עַי‎, ‎עַיָּ֑ת‎, ‎עַיָּה‎₄₀ proper name, of a location Αγγαι (Genesis), Γαι:

1. old Canaanite city, ‎עַי‎ always with article ‎הָעַי‎ (‎הָעָ֑י‎ Gen 13:3 +), near Bethel to the southeast (exact site unknown, compare Di^{Josh 7:2} Buhl^{Geogr. 177}), Gen 12:8 (J), Gen 13:3 (J), Josh 7:2 (twice in verse); Josh 7:3; Josh 7:4; Josh 7:5; Josh 8:1 (twice in verse); Josh 8:2; Josh 8:3 + 18 t. Josh 8 (+ Qr vJosh 8:12 vJosh 8:16, but improbable, Kt ‎עיר‎, compare Di), Josh 9:3; Josh 10:1 (twice in verse); Josh 10:2 (all J E), Josh 12:9 (D), Ezra 2:28 = Neh 7:32 = ‎עַיָּת‎ Isa 10:28 ‎עַיָּה‎ (so Baer Ginsb, > ‎עַיָּא‎ van d. H.) Neh 11:31, so read also (for ‎עַזָּה‎ q. v. near the end) 1Chr 7:28.

2. east Jordan city Jer 49:3 (+ ‎חֶשְׁבוֺן‎), but read ‎עָר‎ city (?) Gf Rothst^Kau Co (‎הָעִיר‎ ?).

‎עִי‎ see I. ‎עוה‎. ‎עַיָּא‎ see ‎עַי‎. ‎עיב‎ see ‎עוב‎.‎עֵיבָל‎ see ‎עוֺבָל‎ below ‎עבל‎. ‎עַיָּה‎ see ‎עַי‎. p. 716, above

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Ai_1 • A Canaanite city conquered by Joshua after initial defeat.

Ai, a Canaanite city near Bethel, captured by Israel under Joshua.

• A location first mentioned at Gen.12.8;
• referred to as Ai or "city" (=Ketiv. Qere, KJV, NIV= Ai) or Aiath or Aija עַי.
  

Ai was a Canaanite city located near Bethel, east of Jerusalem. It is first mentioned in Genesis 12:8 and 13:3, where Abraham built an altar between Bethel and Ai. During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua sent spies to Ai, who reported that the city was small and could be easily defeated (Joshua 7:2-3). However, the Israelites were initially defeated because of Achan's sin (Joshua 7:4-5).

After dealing with Achan, Joshua set an ambush and conquered Ai, killing its inhabitants and burning the city (Joshua 8). The king of Ai was hanged, and a heap of stones was raised over his body (Joshua 8:29). The conquest of Ai opened the way for the Israelites to advance into the heart of Canaan (Joshua 9:3; 10:1-2). Ai is listed among the cities defeated by Joshua (Joshua 12:9).

After the Babylonian exile, some people from Ai returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 2:28; Nehemiah 7:32). Ai was resettled by the Benjamites (Nehemiah 11:31). The city is also mentioned in Isaiah 10:28 as part of a prophetic description of the Assyrian invasion of Judah. The exact location of Ai is debated, but it is generally identified with et-Tell, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Bethel.

All entries for Ai: עַי