how many cities of refuge were the israelites to form

February 25, 2026 • 1 min read

The Israelites were instructed to establish six cities of refuge.

Quick Scoop Answer

According to the command in Numbers 35, six of the Levite towns were to be designated as cities of refuge, places where someone who killed another person unintentionally could flee for protection.

These six cities of refuge were part of a total of forty‑eight Levite cities scattered throughout the land of Israel.

Later listings name the six as Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan.

The core biblical instruction: “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.” (paraphrasing Numbers 35:6).

TL;DR: The Israelites were to form six cities of refuge in the land.

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