Jabesh-Gilead

1 definition found

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Jabesh-Gilead
     a town on the east of Jordan, on the top of one of the green
     hills of Gilead, within the limits of the half tribe of
     Manasseh, and in full view of Beth-shan. It is first mentioned
     in connection with the vengeance taken on its inhabitants
     because they had refused to come up to Mizpeh to take part with


     Israel against the tribe of Benjamin (Judg. 21:8-14). After the
     battles at Gibeah, that tribe was almost extinguished, only six
     hundred men remaining. An expedition went against Jabesh-Gilead,
     the whole of whose inhabitants were put to the sword, except
     four hundred maidens, whom they brought as prisoners and sent to
     "proclaim peace" to the Benjamites who had fled to the crag
     Rimmon. These captives were given to them as wives, that the
     tribe might be saved from extinction (Judg. 21).
     
       This city was afterwards taken by Nahash, king of the
     Ammonites, but was delivered by Saul, the newly-elected king of
     Israel. In gratitude for this deliverance, forty years after
     this, the men of Jabesh-Gilead took down the bodies of Saul and
     of his three sons from the walls of Beth-shan, and after burning
     them, buried the bones under a tree near the city (1 Sam.
     31:11-13). David thanked them for this act of piety (2 Sam.
     2:4-6), and afterwards transferred the remains to the royal
     sepulchre (21:14). It is identified with the ruins of ed-Deir,
     about 6 miles south of Pella, on the north of the Wady Yabis.