The final tally of cities within the inheritance of the Tribe of Benjamin not only maps out the physical boundaries of the land but also highlights the unique geographic and spiritual position of Jerusalem. A total of fourteen cities are counted to complete this tribal territory.
The primary approach among commentators is that the final names in the territory represent five distinct cities: Zela, Eleph, Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. However, an alternative perspective views certain names as paired together, meaning Zela Eleph is one city and Gibeath Kirjath is another. To maintain the total count of fourteen, this approach suggests that two other cities belonging to the tribe—Anathoth and Almon, which are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible—were simply left out of this specific tally [מלבי״ם]. Regarding the name Zela Eleph itself, some explain it as a title for a high geographic location, possibly referring to the elevated area known as the Ophel [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Jerusalem is explicitly identified as the city of the Jebusites, which creates a geographical puzzle, as the city was already counted within the territory of the Tribe of Judah. The solution lies in the fact that both tribes shared a portion of the city, with the border running directly through its center. Judah's boundary climbed from the Valley of Hinnom up to the mountain, while Benjamin's boundary descended to the Jebusite ridge, effectively splitting Jerusalem between them.
This shared border created a deeply significant reality surrounding the location of the Altar. A tradition teaches that a narrow strip of land extended outward from Judah's territory into Benjamin's land, and it was upon this specific strip that the Altar was built. The Tribe of Benjamin deeply desired to absorb this small piece of land fully into their own borders. Other perspectives suggest that the Altar sat precisely on the dividing line between the two tribes, or that it rested entirely within the borders of Benjamin [רד״ק].