Zemaraim
ZEMARAIM
ZEMARAIM (Heb. ?????????), city belonging to the tribe of Benjamin and listed among the northern group of its cities next to Beth-El (Josh. 18:22). It probably gave its name to the Mount Zemaraim of ii Chronicles 13:4, which was mentioned in connection with a battle between Abijah of Judah and Jeroboam i on the border between Judah and Israel; the text presumes that the place was south of Beth-El. In Shishak's list of conquered towns, it comes after Gibeon and was probably the first Israelite city conquered after his assault on Judah. Zemaraim, therefore, was apparently a city and a mountain in the vicinity of Ramallah. Clermont-Ganneau has suggested that Ra?s al-Zemara between al-?ayyiba and Ramm?n is Mt. Zemaraim; for the city itself, Ra?s al-T???na in al-B?ra has been suggested. The tell occupies one of the highest points in the area and has remains of fortifications and Iron Age pottery.
bibliography:
G. Dalman, in: pjb, 21 (1925), 58; Clermont-Ganneau, Arch, 2 (1899), 289; B. Mazar, in: vt Supplement, 4 (1957), 57ff.; Aharoni, Land, index.
[Michael Avi-Yonah]
