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Kiriath-baal, or Kiriath-jearim

Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia

(city of Baal; also city of forests) (Josh 15:9; Judg 18:12; 1 Sam 6:21 and elsewhere) - a town on the border of Judah and Benjamin, therefore assigned in the cited passages to both tribes, though Judges 18:12 and 2 Samuel 6:2 call it a town of Judah. Uriah son of Shemaiah, a contemporary of Jeremiah, was born there (Jer 26:20), and the ark of the covenant remained there for twenty years (1 Sam 7:1-2; 2 Sam 6:2). The town was inhabited again after the Babylonian captivity. The source identifies it with Kuryet el-Enab northwest of Jerusalem toward Joppa.

Though its ancient forest had been cut down, olive and mulberry groves remained. Ruins of a large old monastery, apparently built by Crusaders in the twelfth century, were especially noteworthy.

Scripture cited

Joshua 15:9Judges 18:121 Kingdoms 6:212 Kingdoms 6:2Jeremias 26:201 Kingdoms 7:1

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