Index 


Raisins Dried grapes; mentioned Sa1 25:18; Sa1 30:12; Sa2 16:1; Ch1 12:40.

Rakkath Shore-town, a "fenced city" of the tribe of Naphtali (Jos 19:35). The old name of Tiberias, according to the Rabbins.

Rakkon A place upon the shore, a town belonging to Dan (Jos 19:46). It is now Tell er-Rakkeit, 6 miles north of Joppa, on the sea-shore, near the mouth of the river 'Aujeh , i.e., "yellow water." (See KANAH.)

Ram Exalted. (1.) The son of Hezron, and one of the ancestors of the royal line (Rut 4:19). The margin of Ch1 2:9, also Mat 1:3, Mat 1:4 and Luk 3:33, have "Aram." (2.) One of the sons of Jerahmeel (Ch1 2:25, Ch1 2:27). (3.) A person mentioned in Job 32:2 as founder of a clan to which Elihu belonged. The same as Aram of Gen 22:21.

Rama (Mat 2:18), the Greek form of

Ramah (1.) A city first mentioned in Jos 18:25, near Gibeah of Benjamin. It was fortified by Baasha, king of Israel (Kg1 15:17; Ch2 16:1). Asa, king of Judah, employed Benhadad the Syrian king to drive Baasha from this city (Kg1 15:18, Kg1 15:20). Isaiah (Isa 10:29) refers to it, and also Jeremiah, who was once a prisoner there among the other captives of Jerusalem when it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 39:8; Jer 40:1). Rachel, whose tomb lies close to Bethlehem, is represented as weeping in Ramah (Jer 31:15) for her slaughtered children. This prophecy is illustrated and fulfilled in the re-awakening of Rachel's grief at the slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem (Mat 2:18). It is identified with the modern village of er-Ram, between Gibeon and Beeroth, about 5 miles due north of Jerusalem. (See SAMUEL.) (2.) A town identified with Rameh, on the border of Asher, about 13 miles south-east of Tyre, "on a solitary hill in the midst of a basin of green fields" (Jos 19:29). (3.) One of the "fenced cities" of Naphtali (Jos 19:36), on a mountain slope, about seven and a half miles west-south-west of Safed, and 15 miles west of the north end of the Sea of Galilee, the present large and well-built village of Rameh. (4.) The same as Ramathaim-zophim (q.v.), a town of Mount Ephraim (Sa1 1:1, Sa1 1:19). (5.) The same as Ramoth-gilead (q.v.), Kg2 8:29; Ch2 22:6.

Ramathaim-zophim The two heights of the Zophites or of the watchers (only in Sa1 1:1), "in the land of Zuph" (Sa1 9:5). Ramathaim is another name for Ramah (4). One of the Levitical families descended from Kohath, that of Zuph or Zophai (Ch1 6:26, Ch1 6:35), had a district assigned to them in Ephraim, which from this circumstance was called "the land of Zuph," and hence the name of the town, "Zophim." It was the birth-place of Samuel and the seat of his authority (Sa1 2:11; Sa1 7:17). It is frequently mentioned in the history of that prophet and of David (Sa1 15:34; Sa1 16:13; Sa1 19:18). Here Samuel died and was buried (Sa1 25:1). This town has been identified with the modern Neby Samwil ("the prophet Samuel"), about 4 or 5 miles north-west of Jerusalem. But there is no certainty as to its precise locality. Some have supposed that it may be identical with Arimathea of the New Testament. (See MIZPAH).

Ramath-lehi Elevation of Lehi, or the jawbone height; i.e., the Ramah of Lehi (Jdg 15:15). The phrase "in the jaw," Jdg 15:19, Authorized Version, is in the margin, also in the Revised Version, "in Lehi." Here Samson slew a thousand Philistines with a jawbone.

Ramath-mizpeh The height of Mizpeh or of the watch-tower (Jos 13:26), a place mentioned as one of the limits of Gad. There were two Mizpehs on the east of the Jordan. This was the Mizpeh where Jacob and Laban made a covenant, "Mizpeh of Gilead," called also Galeed and Jegar-sahadutha. It has been identified with the modern es-Salt, where the roads from Jericho and from Shechem to Damascus unite, about 25 miles east of the Jordan and 13 south of the Jabbok.

Ramath of the South (Heb. Ramathnegeb ). The Heb. negeb is the general designation for south or south-west of Judah. This was one of the towns of Simeon (Jos 19:8). It is the same as "south Ramoth" (Sa1 30:27; R.V., "Ramoth of the south"). Its site is doubtful. Some have thought it another name for Baalath-beer.