Anak

Anak (/ˈeɪˌnæk/; Heb. 'nq spelt as both ענק and as הענק depending upon the reference) is a well-known figure in the Hebrew Bible in the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites who, according to the Book of Numbers, was a forefather of the Anakim (Heb. Anakim) who have been considered "strong and tall," they were also said to have been a mixed race of giant people, descendants of the Nephilim (Numbers 13:33). The use of the word "nephilim" in this verse describes a crossbreed of God's sons and the daughters of man, as cited in (Genesis 6:1-2) and (Genesis 6:4). The text states that Anak was a Rephaite (Deuteronomy 2:11) and a son of Arba (Joshua 15:13). Etymologically, Anak means [long] neck.

In the Bible

The sons of Anak are first mentioned in Numbers 13. The Israelite leader Moses sends twelve spies representing the twelve tribes of Israel to scout out the land of Canaan, and give a full report to the congregation. The spies enter from the Negev desert and journey northward through the Judaean hills until they arrive at the brook of Eshcol near Hebron, where reside Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak. After the scouts have explored the entire land, they bring back samples of the fruit of the land; most notably a gigantic cluster of grapes which requires two men to carry it on a pole between them. The scouts then report to Moses and the congregation, that "the land indeed is a land flowing with milk and honey," but ten of the twelve spies discourage the Israelites from even attempting to possess the land, for they reported that the men were taller and stronger than the Israelites, and moreover the sons of Anak dwell in the land, and that they felt like grasshoppers in their presence.

Anak Bukit

Anak Bukit is the royal town of the northern state of Kedah, Malaysia. It is also the name of one of the state assembly constituencies in the Kedah State Assembly. It is part of the parliamentary constituency of Kuala Kedah.

The town is located 7 km from Alor Setar city center and connected by Darul Aman Highway.

Royal Town

It is known as the royal town of Kedah because the Sultan of Kedah's royal palace and official residence, Istana Anak Bukit is located here. It is also the birthplace of the current Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah.

In February 2009, the palace underwent a RM70 million facelift in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebration of the reign of the Sultan of Kedah in 2008. This involved the construction of a new building which houses a new audience and dining halls which could accommodate 1,400 people at any one time. It replaced the existing audience and dining halls which could only hold fewer than 1,000 people. The building was completed in October 2007.