‘ And from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. Now the name of Debir before was Kiriath-sepher.'
After Hebron Caleb's next object was Debir, a city at the southern end of the Judean hills. It is called Kiriath-sannah (city of palm leaf) in Joshua 15:49. Here it is called Kiriath-sepher (city of writing) as in Joshua 15:16. Both names connect with scribal activity (palm leaves were writing materials) which suggests it was well known as a scribal city. Thus its local names