Jabesh-Gilead
Jabesh-Gilead (
Jabesh means "dry" in Hebrew,[1] a name possibly attributed to the site's well-draining soil.[2] Gilead means 'heap [of stones] of testimony'. There is also an alternative theory that it means 'rocky region'. [Smith's Bible Dictionary, "Gil'e-ad"]
History
In the Hebrew Bible
Jabesh-Gilead is mentioned in the Book of Judges,[3]
in the first
Benjaminite War
Jabesh is mentioned in the biblical episode of the Levite's concubine, also known as the Benjamite War, during which eleven tribes of Israel had massacred the Tribe of Benjamin. The eleven tribes relented from wiping out the whole tribe, and decided that they needed to find wives for the 600 remaining Benjaminite men since all other people in Benjamin had been killed. However, they had taken an oath not to give their daughters to a Benjaminite, so they found the one city in Israel that had not joined the fight: Jabesh. The city's inhabitants were executed under the Herem except for 400 virgins. They brought back 400 virgins from Jabesh and gave them to the men on Rimmon Rock (Judges 21:8–15).
Nahash of Ammon
Jabesh-Gilead is a central setting of 1 Samuel 11. After Saul is anointed by Samuel, Nahash of Ammon attacks Jabesh-Gilead. Having subjected the town to a siege, its inhabitants sought terms for surrender, but were told by Nahash that they had a choice of death by sword or having their right eyes gouged out. The population obtained seven days' grace from Nahash, during which they would be allowed to seek help from the Israelites, after which they would have to submit to the terms of surrender. The town's inhabitants sought help from the people of Israel, sending messengers throughout the whole territory, and Saul responded by raising an army which decisively defeated Nahash and his cohorts at Bezek. After the war is over, the Israelites assemble at Gilgal to renew Saul's kingship over Israel.
Saul's Death
After Saul
House of Shallum
In the
Later years
In his Antiquities of the Jews (c. 93–94 CE), Josephus describes Jabesh Gilead as a metropolis in the Transjordan. In the early-4th century CE, Greek scholar Eusebius mentioned "Iabeis Galaad" in his Onomasticon as a "village beyond the Jordan located on the mountains six miles from the city of Pella on the road to Gerasa."[2]
Identification
The exact location of Jabesh-Gilead is debated. Most scholars identify it with Tell el-Maqlub,[10][11][12][13][14] but Tell Abu al-Kharaz is also frequently suggested.[15][16] Both sites were inhabited during the Iron Age and lie along Wadi al-Yabis, a stream believed to preserve the town's ancient name.[2]
See also
Sources
- Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (2000), "Jabesh", Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ISBN 978-9053565032
- Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (2000), "Jabesh-Gilead", Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ISBN 978-9053565032
References
- ^ "morfix dictionary".
- ^ a b c McDonald, Burton (2000). East of the Jordan: Territories and Sites of the Hebrew Scriptures (PDF). American Schools of Oriental Research. pp. 202–203.
- ^ "Judges 21:8-15 (Bible)". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ "1 Samuel 11:1-11 (Bible)". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ "1 Samuel 31:11-13 (Bible)". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ "2 Samuel 2:4-5 (Bible)". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ "2 Samuel 21:12 (Bible)". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ "1 Chronicles 10:11-12 (Bible)". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ Freedman, Myers (2000), p. 664
- ^ Merrill, S (1883) [1881]. East of the Jordan: a record of travel and observation in the countries of Moab, Gilead, and Bashan. R. Bentley. New York: Scribner's. p. 440.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Noth, M. (1953). "Jabesh-gilead: Ein Beitrag zur Methode alttestamentischer Topographie". Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins: 28–41.
- ^ Simons, J (1959). The Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament: A Concise Commentary in XXXII Chapters. Leiden: Brill. p. 315.
- ^ Aharoni, Y. (1979). Rainey, A.F. (ed.). The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography (2 ed.). London: Burns & Oates. pp. 379, 437.
- OCLC 1101929531.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - S2CID 222428752.
- ISSN 0075-8914.