Gilead

There were several mountains of this name lying eastward of Jordan. The term itself is evidently taken from the word Gal, an heap; and Houd, testimony. The balm of Gilead is used in Scripture as typical of Christ. Hence the prophet exclaims, "Is there no balm in Gilead, no physician there?" Yes! both were there. Jesus’s blood is a never - failing balm; and he himself a physician which never failed of a cure. Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" The answer is direct. If this balm be never used, andthis physician never known or regarded, how shall the blessings of either be experienced? (Jer. 8. 22.)

I must not dismiss this article of Gilead without first taking notice of a beautiful similitude of our Lord’s in Scripture, when comparing his church to this mount, on account of its loveliness. "Behold, (saith Jesus, ) thou art fair, my love, thou art fair; thou hast dove’s eyes within thy locks; thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead." (Song 4: 1.) Perhaps the fairness so often repeated by the Lord concerning the spouse, is to shew how lovely she is in his eyes, from "the comeliness he hath put upon her and thehigh value he hath for her. And the quickness of sight in the dove, shews how much knowledge Jesus imparts by his regenerating grace. The hair, it should seem, is commended for its beauty by the Lord, because of its nearness to the head, and immediately having its root there. So the saints of God are all beautiful in their order, from being united to, and deriving all their life and nourishment from, Jesus their glorious Head. And as the flocks on mount Gilead, high and lifted up, live securely, feed luxuriously, and are lovelyintheir numbers and good order; so the fold of Christ have their Gilead, that glorious mountain which was once "a stone cut out without hands;" but now filling the earth, where they live and dwell securely. Jesus himself is their food and their pasture, "their munition of rocks, where their bread is given and their water sure; where they lie down in safety, and none shall make them afraid." (Isa. 33. 16.)

the name given to the monument erected by Laban and Jacob, in testimony of a mutual covenant and agreement, Gen 31:47-48. Hence the hill upon which it was erected, was called Mount Gilead, Son 4:1; Son 6:5; Jer 50:19. The mountains of Gilead were part of that ridge of mountains which extend from Mount Lebanon southward, on the east of the Holy land; they gave their name to the whole country which lies on the east of the sea of Galilee, and included the mountainous region called in the New Testament Trachonitis. The Scripture speaks of the balm of Gilead, Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11; Jer 51:8. The merchants who bought Joseph came from Gilead, and were carrying balm into Egypt, Gen 37:25. See BALM.

Gil´ead. 1. A group of mountains connected with Lebanon by means of Mount Hermon. It begins not far from the latter, and extends southward to the sources of the brooks Jabbok and Arnon, thus enclosing the whole eastern part of the land beyong the Jordan (Gen 31:21; Son 4:1). According to Michaelis, this mountain, which gave its name to the country so called, must be situated beyond the region sketched in our maps, and somewhere about the Euphrates.

2. (a) The name of a large district beyond the Jordan, continually mentioned in the Scriptures in contradistinction to, or apart from, Bashan (Deu 3:13; Jos 12:5; Jos 13:11; Jos 17:1; 2Ki 10:33; 1Ch 5:16; Mic 7:14), though, to judge from its geographical position (as given Num 32:26; Deu 3:12), it must have comprised the entire possessions of the two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and even the southern part of Manasseh (Deu 3:13; Num 32:40; Jos 17:1-6). The cities Ramoth, Jabosh, and Jazer, are usually designated as lying in Gilead.

This region was distinguished for its rich pastures (Num 32:1) and aromatic simples; from which latter different sorts of balsam were prepared—facts confirmed by modern travelers, with the addition that the whole region is covered with groups of limestone mountains, intersected by fertile valleys.

(b) The name of the whole eastern part of the Jordan (Deu 34:1; comp. 2Ki 10:33; Jdg 20:1).

The name Gilead continued to be used, in a general and geographical sense, even after the exile.

Gil’e-ad. (rocky region).

1. A mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon. Gen 31:21; Deu 3:12-17. It is sometimes called "Mount Gilead," Gen 31:25, sometimes "the land of Gilead," Num 32:1, and sometimes simply "Gilead." Psa 60:7; Gen 37:25.

The name Gilead, as is usual in Palestine, describes the physical aspect of the country: it signifies "a hard rocky region". The mountains of Gilead, including Pisgah, Abarim and Peor, have a real elevation of from 2000 to 3000 feet; but their apparent elevation on the western side is much greater, owing to the depression of the Jordan valley, which averages about 3000 feet. Their outline is singularly uniform, resembling a massive wall running along the horizon.

Gilead was specially noted for its balm collected from "balm of Gilead" trees, and worth twice its weight in silver.

2. Possibly the name of a mountain west of the Jordan, near Jezreel. Jdg 7:3. We are inclined, however, to think that the true reading in this place should be Gilboa.

3. Son of Machir, grandson of Manasseh. Num 26:29-30.

4. The father of Jephthah. Jdg 11:1-2.

("a hard rocky region".) The mountainous range and the region E. of Jordan are meant by "mount Gilead," not some one mountain. Bashan ("soft level soil"), a fertile plateau, bounds it on the N.; the Arabian table land on the E.; Moab and Ammon on the S. (Deu 3:12-17); Jordan on the W.; Hieromax river (now Sheriat’el Mandhur) divides it from Bashan. The Jabbok divided Og’s northern half of Gilead (now Jebel Ajlun) from Sihon’s southern half (now Belka.). The valley of Heshbon was probably Gilead’s southern bound. Mishor, "a table land," is used to denote the plateau S. and E. of Gilead. Thus Bezer was in the country of the Mishor ("plain country," KJV Deu 4:43), the smooth downs of Moab contrasting with the higher districts of Bashan northwards and the rugged country W. of the Jordan.

One prominent peak is still called Jebel Jil’ad, "mount Gilead," the probable site of Ramath Mizpeh (Jos 13:26), and the "Mizpeh of Gilead" from whence Jephthah passed over to Ammon (Jdg 11:29), an admirable place for assembling forces for war. Es-Salt, a town close by, is on the site of "Ramoth Gilead," the city of refuge in Gad. The mountains of Gilead, 2,000 or 3,000 ft. high, appear still more elevated from the W. owing to the depression of the Jordan valley 1,000 ft., and resemble a massive wall along the horizon; but when ascended they present a" wide table land tossed about in wild confusion of undulating downs, clothed with rich grass and magnificent forests, and broken by three deep defiles, those of the Jarmuk, Jabbok, and Arnon" (Stanley, Sinai and Palestine)

The high Arabian plateau makes them look low from the E. Pasturage abounds in Gilead more than in western Palestine, from whence Reuben and Gad chose it for their numerous flocks and herds (Numbers 32). The physical nature of the country affected the character of its people, who ever retained nomadic pastoral habits. Gad, which lay S. and W. by Jordan, stretching N. as far as the sea of Galilee.) (See GAD.) Manasseh lay N. and E., and stretched S. to Mahanaim. Gilead’s isolation kept its people in the background in Israel’s history. Its aromatic spices and balm were exported to Egypt (Gen 37:25; Jer 8:22). Chedorlaomer attacked the giant Zuzim in Ham, i.e. probably Gilead; having first attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, now the Hauran, afterward the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, the country subsequently of Moab. In Gilead Saul’s son at Mahanaim tried to gain his father’s throne (2Sa 2:8-9).

Here David found shelter and hospitality while fleeing from Absalom (2Sa 17:22; 2Sa 17:27-29). Elijah the Tishbite was of Gilead, and in garb, abruptness, and active energy reflected his country’s characteristics. Being a border land, it was exposed to the marauding tribes of the desert (Jos 17:1), and Ramoth Gilead was thought the eastern key of Palestine (1Ki 22:3-6). (See RAMOTH GILEAD.) Twice our Lord withdrew to the trans-jordanic hills: after His baptism; again just before His last stay at Jerusalem (Joh 10:39-40). At Pella in the same region the disciples found the refuge from the siege of Jerusalem which their Lord had told them of beforehand; Cestius Gallus having providentially retired, and so given them the opportunity of fleeing (Mat 24:15-16).

(Heb. Gilad’, גַּלְעָד, generally with the article prefixed, when applied to the region or mountain; properly a stony district, hence, according to Gen 31:41, heap or hill of testimony; Sept. Γαλαάδ), the name of several men, also of a region and mountain, and perhaps a city. The name Gilead. as is usual in Palestine, describes the physical aspect of the country. It signifies "a hard, rocky region;" and it may be regarded as standing in contrast with Bashan, the other great trans-Jordanic province, which is, as the name implies, a "level, fertile tract." The statements in Gen 31:48, are not opposed to this etymology. The old name of the district was גַּלְעָד(Gilead), but, by a slight change in the pronunciation, the radical letters being retained, the meaning was made beautifully applicable to the "heap of stones" Jacob and Laban had built up "and Laban said! this heap (גִּל) is a witness (עֵד) between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Gal-eed" (גִּלְעֵד, "the heap of witness"). Those acquainted with the modern Arabs and their literature will see how intensely such a play upon the word would be appreciated by them. This Galeed could not have been far from Mahanaim, and was doubtless one of those rounded eminences to the northward which overlook the broad plateau of Bashan (Gen 31:25; Gen 32:1-2). SEE GALEED.

1. A mountainous region east of the Jordan; bounded on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon (Gen 31:21; Deu 3:12-17), properly extending from the parallel of Rabboth-Ammon on the south to the river Hieromax on the north. The same name, however, was given to the ridge extending between these parallels. With the exception of the narrow strip of plain along the bank of the Jordan, the mountains, in fact, cover the whole region; hence it is sometimes called "Mount Gilead" (Gen 31:25), הִר הִגַּלְעָד; comp. Deu 3:12; Jer 1:19), sometimes "the land of Gilead" (Num 32:1, אֶרֶוֹ גַּלְעָד; compare Deu 34:1; Num 34:29; Zec 10:10), and sometimes simply "Gilead" (Psa 60:7; Gen 37:25; Num 32:40; Jos 17:1; Amo 1:3); but a comparison of the several passages shows that they all mean the same thing. There is no evidence, in fact, that any particular mountain was meant by Mount Gilead more than by Mount Lebanon (Jdg 3:3) — they both comprehend the whole range, and the range of Gilead embraced the whole province, or group of mountains vaguely stated by Eusebius (Onomast. s.v. Γαλαάδ) to be connected with Lebanon by means of Mount Hermon. It begins not far from the latter, and extends southward to the sources of the brooks Jabbok and Arnon, thus enclosing the whole eastern part of the land beyond the Jordan (Gen 31:21; Son 4:1). According to Michaelis (Mos. Recht, 1:86), this mountain, which gave its name to the country so called, must even be situated beyond the region sketched in our maps, and somewhere about the Euphrates. But this is fanciful. Strictly, the name comprehends the mountainous region south of the river Jabbok, where is the highest part of the mountains east of the Jordan; and one ridge is still named Jebel Jelad or Jelud, from the ruined towns so called upon it (Burckhardt, Travels in Syria, page 348; Robinson’s Researches, 2:243, 306; App. page 167). The inhabitants were called Gileadites (Jdg 10:3; 2Ki 15:25).

I. Divisions of the Territory. —

(a.) Gilead is usually, therefore, the name of a large district beyond the Jordan, continually mentioned in the Scriptures in contradistinction to, or apart from, Bashan (Deu 3:13; Jos 12:5; Jos 13:11; Jos 17:1; 2Ki 10:33; 1Ch 5:16; Mic 7:14); though, to judge from its geographical position (as given Num 32:26; Deu 3:12), it must have comprised the entire possessions of the two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and even the southern part of Manasseh (Deu 3:13; Num 32:40; Jos 17:2-6); corresponding to the region now called el-Beka and Jebel-Ajlun. Sometimes it is put for the territory of Gad and Reuben alone (Psa 60:9; Psa 108:9); at others for the tribe of Gad only (Jdg 5:17; comp. 5:16), although this usage is not constant, and in 1Sa 13:7, the land of Gad and Gilead are joined. The cities Ramoth, Jabesh, and Jazer are usually designated as lying in Gilead.

There is a special descriptive term, which may almost be regarded as a proper name, used to denote the great plateau which borders Gilead on the south and east. The refuge-city Bezer is said to be "in the country of the Mishor" (Deu 4:43); and Jer 48:21 says, "judgment is come upon the country of the Mishor" (see also Jos 13:9; Jos 13:16-17; Jos 13:21; Jos 20:8). Mishor ( מַשׁוֹרand מַשׂר) signifies a "level plain" or "table-land;" and no word could be more applicable. This is one among many examples of the minute accuracy of Bible topography. SEE MISHOR.

The extent of Gilead in this general sense we can ascertain with tolerable exactness from incidental notices in the Holy Scriptures. The Jordan was its western border (1Sa 13:7; 2Ki 10:33). A comparison of a number of passages shows that the river Hieromax, the modern Sheriat el-Mandhur, separated it from Bashan on the north. "Half Gilead" is said to have been possessed by Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the other half by Og, king of Bashan; and the river Jabbok was the division between the two kingdoms (Deu 3:12; Jos 12:1-5). The half of Gilead possessed by Og must therefore have been north of the Jabbok. It is also stated that the territory of the tribe, of Gad extended along the Jordan valley to the Sea of Galilee (Jos 13:27); and yet "all Bashan" was given to Manasseh (Jos 13:30). We therefore conclude that the deep glen of the Hieromax, which runs eastward, on the parallel of the south end of the Sea of Galilee, was the dividing line between Bashan and Gilead. North of that glen stretches out a flat, fertile plateau, such as the name Bashan (בָּשָׁן, like the Arabic bashah, signifies "soft and level soil") would suggest; while on the south we have the rough and rugged, yet picturesque hill country, for which Gilead is the fit name. (See Porter, in Journal of Sac. Lit. July 1854, page 284 sq.; compare Ib. January 1852, page 364.) On the east the mountain range melts away gradually into the high plateau of Arabia. The boundary of Gilead is here not so clearly defined, but it may be regarded as running along the foot of the range. The southern boundary is less certain. The tribe of Reuben occupied the country as far south as the river Arnon, which was the border of Moab (Deu 2:36; Deu 3:12). It seems, however, that the southern section of their territory was not included in Gilead. In Jos 13:9-11, it is intimated that the "plain of Medeba" ("the Mishor" it is called), north of the Arnon, is not in Gilead; and when’ speaking of the cities of refuge, Moses describes ’Bezer, which was given out of the tribe of Reuben, as being "in the wilderness, in the plain country" (i.e., "in the country of the Mishor," אֶרֶוֹ הָמַּישֹׁר), while Ramoth is said to be in Gilead (Deu 4:43). This southern plateau was also called "the land of Jazer" (Num 32:1; 2Sa 24:5; comp. also Jos 13:16-25). The valley of Heshbon may therefore, in all probability, be the southern boundary of Gilead. Gilead thus extended from the parallel of the south end of the Sea of Galilee to that of the north end of the Dead Sea —about 60 miles; and its average breadth scarcely exceeded 20.

(b.) While such were the usual limits of Gilead, the same is used in a wider sense in two or three parts of Scripture. Moses, for example, is said to have seen, from the top of Pisgah, "all the land of Gilead unto Dan" (Deu 34:1); and in Jdg 20:1, and Jos 22:9, the name seems to comprehend the whole territory of the Israelites beyond the Jordan. A little attention shows that this is only a vague way of speaking, in common use everywhere.

(c.) The district corresponding to Gilead is now divided into two provinces, separated by the Jabbok. The section lying between the Jabkok and the Hieromax is now called Jebel Ajlun; while that to the south of the Jabbok constitutes the modern province of Belka. One of the most conspicuous peaks in the mountain range still retains the ancient name, being called Jebel Jihad, "Mount Gilead." It is about seven miles south of the Jabbok, and commands a magnificent view over the whole Jordan valley, and the mountains of Judah and Ephraim. It is probably the site of Ramath-Mizpeh of Jos 13:26; and the "Mizpeh of Gilead," from which Jephthah "passed over unto the children of Ammon" (Jdg 11:29). The spot is admirably adapted for a gathering-place in time of invasion or aggressive war. The neighboring village of es-Salt occupies the site of the old "city of refuge" in Gad, Ramoth-Gilead (q.v.).

II. History. — The first notice we have of Gilead is in connection with the history of Jacob (Gen 31:21 sq.). That patriarch, having passed the Euphrates, "set his face towards Mount-Gilead;" he struck across the desert by the great fountain at Palmyra; then traversed the eastern part of the plain of Damascus, and the plateau of Bashan, and entered Gilead from the north-east. "In the Mount Gilead Laban overtook him" — apparently soon after he entered the district; for when they separated again, Jacob went on his way and arrived at Mahanaim, which must have been considerably north of the river Jabbok (Gen 32:1-2; Gen 32:22). SEE JACOB.

Gilead is not mentioned again in the patriarchal history; but it is possibly this same region which is referred to under the name Ham (q.v.), and was inhabited by the gigantic Zuzim. The kings of the East who came to punish the rebellious "cities of the plain," first attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim — i.e., in the country now called Hlaurann; then they advanced southwards against the "Zuzims in Ham;" and next against the Emim in Simaveh-Kiriathim, which was subsequently possessed by the Moabites (Gen 14:5; Deu 2:9-19). SEE EMIM; SEE REPHAIM.

We hear nothing more of Gilead till the invasion of the country by the Israelites. One half of it was then in the hands of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had a short time previously driven out the Moalites. Ogr king of Bashan, had the other section north of the Jabbok. The Israelites defeated the former at Jahaz, and the latter at Edrei, and took possession of Gilead and Bashan (Num 21:23 sq.). The rich pasture-land of Gileads, with its shady forests and copious streams, attracted the attention of Reuben and Gad, who "had a very great multitude of cattle," and was allotted to then. The future history and habits of the tribes that occupied Gilead were greatly affected by the character of the country. Rich in flocks and herds, and now the lords of a fitting region, they retained, almost unchanged, the nomad pastoral habits of their patriarchal ancestors. Like all Bedawin, they lived in a constant state of warfare, just as Jacob had predicted of Gad — "a troop shall plunder him, but he shall plunder at the last" (Gen 49:19). The sons of Ishmael were subdued and plundered in the time of Saul (1Ch 5:9 sq.), and the children of Ammon in the days of Jephthah and David (Jdg 11:32 sq.; 2Sa 10:12 sq.). Their wandering tent life, and their almost inaccessible country made them in ancient times what the Bedawi tribes are now — the protectors of the refugee and the outlaw. In Gilead the sons of Saul found a home while they vainly attempted to re-establish the authority of their house (2Sa 2:8 sq.). Here, too, ’David’ found a sanctuary during the unnatural rebellion of a beloved son; and the surrounding tribes, with a characteristic hospitality, carried presents of the best they possessed to the fallen monarch (2Sa 17:22 sq.). Elijah the Tishbite was a Gileadite (1Ki 17:1); and in his simple garb, Wild aspect, abrupt address, wonderfully active habits, and movements so rapid as to evade the search of his watchful and bitter foes, we see all the characteristics of the genuine Bedasi, ennobled by a high prophetic mission. SEE GAD.

Gilead was a frontier land, exposed to the firtst attacks of the Syrian and Assyrian invaders, and to the unceasing raids of the desert tribes — "Because Machir, the first-born of Manasseh, was a man of war, therefore he had Bashan and Gilead" (Jos 17:1). Under the wild and wayward Jephthab, Mizpeh of Gilead became the gathering-place of the trans- Jordanic tribes (Jdg 11:29); and in subsequent times the ,neighboring stronghold of Ramoth-Gilead appears to have been considered the key of Palestine on the east (1Ki 22:3-4; 1Ki 22:6; 2Ki 9:1).

The name Galaad (Γαλαάδ) occurs several times in the history of thee Maccabees (1Ma 5:9 sq.), and also in Josephus, but generallyc with the Greek termination — Γαλααδῖτις or Γαλαδηνή (Ant. 13:14,2; War, 1:4, 3). Under the Roman dominion the country became more settled and civilized; and the great cities of Gadara, Pella, and Gerasa, with Philadelphia on its south-eastern border, speedily rose to opulence and splendor. In one of these (Pella) the Christians of Jerusalem found a sanctuary when the armies of Titeis gathered round the devoted city (Eusebius, H.E. 3:5). Under Mohammedan rule the country has again lapsed into semi-barbarism. Some scattered villages amid the fastnesses of Jebel Ajluhn, and a few fierce wandering tribes, constitute the whole population of Gilead. They are nominally subject to the Porte, but their allegiance sits lightly upon them. The inhabitants, like the old Gadites, are semi-nomads, whosewealth consists in flocks and herds. Like them, too, they are harassed by the desert tribes; they are inured to arms, and they are noted for their hospitality. The capital of the whole country is es-Salt (Burnkhardt, Trav. in Syria, page 270; Buckingham, Arab Tribes, page 21 sq.; Lord Lindsay’s Travels, 2:108 sq.).

III. Description of modern Country. — The great body of the range of Gilead is Jura limestone, but there are occasional veins of sandstone. The oak and the terebinth flourish on the former, and the pine on the latter. The mountains of Gilead have a real elevation of from two to three thousand feet, but their apparent elevation on the western side is much greater, owing, to the depression of the Jordan valley, which averages about 1000 feet. Their outline is singularly uniform, resembling a massive wall running along the horizon. From the distant east they seem very low, for on that side they meet thee plateau of Arabia, 2000 feet or more in height. Though the range appears bleak from the distance, yet, on ascending it, we find the scenery rich, picturesque, and in places even garand. The summit is broad, almost like table-land "tossed into wild confusion of undulating downs" (Stanley, Sinai and Pal. page 314). It is everywhere covered with luxuriant herbage. In the extreme north and south there are no trees, but as we advance towards the center they soon begin to appear, at first singly, then in groups, and at length, on each side of the Jabbok, in fine forests, chiefly of prickly oak and terebinth. The rich pasture-land of Gilead presents a striking contrast to the nakedness of Western Palestine. Except among the hills of Galilee and along the heights of Carmel, there is nothing to be compared with it as "a place for cattle" (Num 32:1). In passing through the country, one can hardly get over the impression that he is roaming through an English park. The graceful hills, the rich vales, the luxuriant herbage, the bright wild flowers, the plantations of evergreen oak, pine, and arbutus; now a tangled thicket, and now a grove scattered over the gentle slope, as if intended to reveal its beauty; the little rivulets fringed with oleander, at one place running lazily between alluvial banks, at another dashing madly down rocky ravines. Such are the features of the mountains of Gilead. Here, too, we have the cooing of the wood-pigeon, the hoarse call of the partridge, the incessant hum of myriads of insects, and the cheerful chirp of grasshoppers to give life to the scene. Add to all the crumbling ruins of town, village, and fortress, clinging to the mountain- side or crowning its summit, and you have a picture of the country between es-Salt and Gerasa" (Porter, Hand-book for S. and P. page 310). Such a picture, too, illustrates at once the fertility ascribed to it by Jer 22:6; Jeremiah 1, 19, and the judgments .pronounced against it by Amo 1:3; Amo 1:13.

Gilead anciently abounded in spices and aromatic gums, which were exported to Egypt (Gen 37:25; Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11). The balm of Gilead seems to have been valued for its medicinal properties from the earliest, times. The Midianitish merchants to whom Joseph was sold were passing through the valley of Jezreel on their way from Gilead to Egypt (Gen 37:17). Josephus often mentions this balm or balsam, but generally as the product of the rich plain of Jericho, for example (Ant. 14:4): "Now when Pompey had pitched his camp at Jericho (where the palm-tree grows, and that balsam which is an ointment of all the most precious, which upon any incision being made in the wood with a sharp stone distils out thence like a juice), he marched in the morning to Jerusalem." Dr. Thomson found in the plain of Jericho some thorn-bushes called the zukum, "which is like the crab apple-tree, and bears a small nut, from which a kind of liquid balsam is made, and sold by the monks as balm of Gilead, so famous in ancient times," and he supposes "that the balm which Jacob sent to Joseph (Gen 47:11), and that which Jer 8:22 refers to for its medicinal qualities, were the same which the trading Ishmaelites were transporting to Egypt, and that it was some resinous extract from the forest trees of (Gilead" (Land and Book, 2:193, 194). See below.

Gilead (gĭl’e-ad), hard. 1. The grandson of Manasseh. Num 26:29-30, etc. 2. The father of Jephthah. Jdg 11:1; Jdg 2:3. A’ Gadite. 1Ch 5:14

Gilead, rocky region. Called also Mount Gilead and Land of Gilead, Gen 31:25; Num 32:1; and known in New Testament times as Peræa, or, "beyond Jordan." Mat 4:15; Joh 1:28. 1. Gilead was a region of country bounded on the north by Basban, east by the Arabian desert, south by Moab and Ammon, and west by the Jordan. Gen 31:21; Deu 3:12-17; 1Sa 13:7; 2Ki 10:33. It was about 60 miles long, and 20 miles in its average breadth. Its mountains named in Scripture are Abarim, Pisgah, Nebo, and Peor, and are about 2000 to 3000 feet above the valley of the Jordan. Num 32:1; Gen 37:25. The balm of Gilead was held in high favor, Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11; it is said that only a spoonful could be collected in a day, and that was sold for twice its weight in silver. Jacob fled toward Gilead, Gen 31:21; it was conquered by Israel, Num 21:24; Jdg 10:18; Jos 12:2; Deu 2:36; was given to Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, Jos 17:6; under Jephthah it defeated the Ammonites, Jdg 10:18; was a refuge for Saul’s son and for David, 2Sa 2:9; 2Sa 17:22; 2Sa 17:24; the home of Elijah, 1Ki 17:1; taken in part by Syria, 2Ki 10:33; by Assyria, 2Ki 15:25-29; referred to in the minor prophets, Hos 6:8; Hos 12:11; Amo 1:3; Amo 1:13; Oba 1:19; Mic 7:14; Zec 10:10. 2. Mount Gilead of Jdg 7:3 was probably near Mount Gilboa.

[Gil’ead]

The district on the east of the Jordan, extending from the river Yarmouk, a little south of the Sea of Galilee, to the north corner of the Dead Sea. It fell to the lot of Gad, except its northern part, which, where it joined Bashan, was possessed by Manasseh. It is a mountainous district, which accounts for some part of it being called ’the mount of Gilead’ in Gen 31:21-25. Some of the mountains are 2,000 to 3,500 feet high, but from the west they look much higher because of the depression of the Jordan valley. Pasturage abounds in Gilead, and accounts for Gad and the others choosing it for their cattle. The district is divided into north and south by the river Jabbok (Zerka ). The northern part is cultivated and has numerous villages; but the southern is mostly held by nomadic tribes, with but little cultivation, and having but one inhabited town now, called es Salt, 32° 2’ N, 35° 42’ E.

In the days of Ahab Ramoth-gilead was in possession of the Syrians, which was followed by all Gilead and Moab falling into their hands. 1Ki 22:3; 2Ki 10:32-33. This was followed by Tiglath-pileser conquering the region, and carrying the Israelites into captivity. 2Ki 15:29; 1Ch 5:26. In the restoration of Israel their border eastward will extend to Damascus and Gilead. Eze 47:18. This ancient possession will thus be brought into blessing. The Ishmaelites who bought Joseph were travelling with balm and myrrh from Gilead. Gen 37:25. The balm of Gilead was proverbial for its healing virtues. Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11.

[Gil’ead]

1. Son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh. Num 26:29-30; Num 27:1; Num 36:1; Jos 17:1; Jos 17:3; 1Ch 2:21; 1Ch 2:23; 1Ch 7:14; 1Ch 7:17.

2. Father of Jephthah. Jdg 11:1-2.

3. Son of Michael of the family of Gad. 1Ch 5:14.

By: Emil G. Hirsch, Frants Buhl

1. District, mountain, and city east of the Jordan. The name "Gilead" in Gen. xxxi. 48 is explained by popular etymology to mean "heap of witness," in connection with the story of the heap of stones which Laban and Jacob piled up as a sign of their covenant. In the Old Testament "Gilead" sometimes designates a district or mountain, sometimes a city. The mountain of Gilead is found, forinstance, in Deut. iii. 12; Gen. xxxi. 21 et seq.; Cant. iv. 1; comp. vi. 5. The district of Gilead has an undetermined boundary. It often designates in general the land east of the Jordan in so far as it was inhabited by Israelites; e.g., Num. xxxii. 29; Josh. xxii. 9; II Sam. ii. 9; Amos i. 3. Hence, in an ideal sense it includes the northernmost part of the land east of the Jordan as far as Hermon (Deut. xxxiv. 1; comp. the obscure passage in II Kings x. 33, which is probably the result of the combination of several original variant accounts). The same explanation may be given for I Macc. v. 20 et seq., where the regions occupied by Jews north of the Yarmuk are designated as "Gilead." In other places Gilead includes only the territory between the Yarmuk and Moab (i.e., 'Ajlun and the northern Balḳa); thus, for example, Deut. iii. 10; II Kings x. 33. Here the land is called "all the land of Gilead," because it was divided into two parts which were separated by the Jabbok (comp. Deut. iii. 16; Josh. xii. 2). Each of the two parts is called "the half of Gilead" (comp. Deut. iii. 12 et seq.), or simply "Gilead" (e.g., Josh. xii. 6 and elsewhere; Num. xxxii. 1). Sometimes the land of Jazer in the south is explicitly distinguished from Gilead (Num. xxxii. 1; II Sam. xxiv. 5). The inhabitants of Gilead were Reuben, Gad, and a part of Manasseh. Nevertheless, Gilead is mentioned alongside of Reuben in Judges v. 17; of Gad in I Sam. xiv. 7; of Manasseh in Judges xi. 29; Ps. lx. 9 (A. V. 7), cviii. 9 (A. V. 8). It is difficult to decide with which part of the trans-Jordanic land the name "Gilead" was originally associated. At the present day there is a Mount Jal'ad, two hours south of the Jabbok; but this offers no proof of conditions in Biblical times, and the account in Gen. xxxi. argues against such a location.

2. City mentioned in Hosea vi. 8, and perhaps in Judges x. 17. It is now identified with the ruins Jal'ud upon the mountain mentioned above.

Bibliography:

Smend, in Stade's Zeitschrift, xxii. 145.

GILEAD.—1. A person (or personified sept), son of the Manassite Machir (Num 26:29, 1Ch 2:21), and grandfather of Zelophehad (Num 27:1). See No. 4 below. 2. A Gadite, son of Michael (1Ch 5:14). 3. A mountain mentioned in Jdg 7:3 in an order of Gideon’s to his followers, ‘Whosoever is fearful … let him return and depart from [mg. ‘go round about’] Mount Gilead.’ The passage is very difficult, and probably corrupt. The trans-Jordanic Gilead will not suit the context, and no other is known. Various attempts have been made at emendation, none of which has commanded acceptance.

4. The name of the territory bounded on the north by Bashan, on the west by the Jordan between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, on the east by the desert, and on the south by the territory of Moab. It is a lofty fertile plateau, about 2000 feet above the sea-level; its western edge is the precipitous eastern wall of the Jordan Valley. It is an upland country, wooded in places, with productive fields intersected by valleys and streams. It is mentioned first in connexion with Jacob’s flight from Laban; it was the goal at which he aimed, the place where the pursuer overtook him, and where the ‘heap of witness’ was raised (Gen 31:1-55). Even in the patriarchal period it was famous for its spices, myrrh, and medicinal ‘balm,’ whatever that may have been (cf. Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11). The Ishmaelite trading caravan which bought Joseph was carrying these substances from Gilead to Egypt (Gen 37:25). The Amorites were in possession of Gilead under their king Sihon when the Israelites were led to the Land of Promise. When that king was defeated, his territory aroused the desires of the pastoral tribes of Reuben and Gad. Its fitness for pasture is celebrated in the Song of Songs: the Shulammite’s hair is twice compared to ‘goats that lie along the side of Mount Gilead’ (Son 4:6; Son 6:5). On the partition of the land, Gilead was divided into two, the southern half being given to Reuben and Gad, the northern half to the trans-Jordanic half of Manasseh. The Manassite part is distinguished by the name Havvoth-jair, apparently meaning the ‘Settlements of Jair.’ Jair was a son of Manasseh, according to Num 32:41, but he seems in Jdg 10:5 to be confused with one of the minor Judges of the same name. Another Judge, Jephthah (Jdg 11:1-40), was a Gileadite, whose prowess delivered Israel from Ammon. His subsequent sacrifice of his daughter is indicated as the origin of a festival of Israelite women (Jdg 11:40). In a previous stress of the Israelites, Gilead did not hear its part, and is upbraided for its remissness by Deborah (Jdg 5:17). In Jdg 20:1 Gilead is used as a general term for trans-Jordanic Israel. Here some of the Hebrews took refuge from the Philistines (1Sa 13:7); and over Gilead and other parts of the country Ish-bosheth was made king (2Sa 2:9). Hither David fled from before Absalom, and was succoured, among others, by Barzillai (2Sa 17:27; 2Sa 19:31, 1Ki 2:7), whose descendants are referred to in post-exilic records (Ezr 2:61, Neh 7:63). To Gilead David’s census agents came (2Sa 24:6). It was administered by Ben-geber for Solomon (1Ki 4:13). It was the land of Elijah’s origin (1Ki 17:1). For cruelties to Gileadites, Damascus and Ammon are denounced by Amos (Amo 1:3; Amo 1:13), while on the other hand Hosea (Hos 6:8; Hos 12:11) speaks bitterly of the sins of Gilead. Pekah had a following of fifty Gileadites when he slew Pekahiah (2Ki 15:25). The country was smitten by Hazael (2Ki 10:33), and its inhabitants carried away captive by Tiglath-pileser (2Ki 15:29).

R. A. S. Macalister.

gil´ē̇-ad (הגּלעד, ha-gil‛ādh, “the Gilead”): The name is explained in Gen 31:46, Gen 31:51, as derived from Hebrew gal, “a cairn,” and ‛ēdh, “witness,” agreeing in meaning with the Aramaic y^eghar-sāhădhūthā). The Arabic jil^eād means “rough,” “rugged.”

(1) A city named in Hos 6:8; Hos 12:11, possibly to be identified with Gilead near to Mizpah (Jdg 10:17). If this is correct, the ancient city may be represented by the modern Jil‛ād, a ruin about 5 miles North of es-Salṭ.

(2) A mountain named in Jdg 7:3. Gideon, ordered to reduce the number of men who were with him, commanded all who were “fearful and trembling” to “return and depart from Mt. Gilead.” the Revised Version, margin reads “return and go round about from Mt. Gilead.” Gideon and his army lay to the South of the plain of Jezreel on the lower slopes of Gilboa. It has been suggested (Studer, Comm., at the place) that, as the Midianites lay between the men of the northern tribes and their homes, they were told to cross the Jordan, make a détour through Gilead, and thus avoid the enemy. Possibly, however, we should read Gilboa for Gilead; or part of the mountain may have borne the name of Gilead. The last suggestion is favored by the presence of a strong spring under the northern declivity of Gilboa, nearly 2 miles from Zer‛ı̄n, possibly to be identified with the Well of Harod. In the modern name, ‛Ain Jalūd, there may be an echo of the ancient Gilead.

(3) The name is applied generally to the mountain mass lying between the Yarmūk on the North, and Wādy Ḥesbān on the South; the Jordan being the boundary on the West, while on the East it marched with the desert.

1. The Land of Gilead

Mount Gilead - literally, “Mount of the Gilead” - may refer to some particular height which we have now no means of identifying (Gen 31:23). The name Jebel Jil‛ād is still, indeed, applied to a mountain South of Nahr ez-Zerḳā and North of es-Salṭ; but this does not meet the necessities of the passage as it stands. The same expression in Deu 3:12 obviously stands for the whole country. This is probably true also in Son 4:1. The name Gilead is sometimes used to denote the whole country east of the Jordan (Gen 37:25; Jos 22:9; 2Sa 2:9, etc.). Again, along with Bashan, it indicates the land East of Jordan, as distinguished from the Moab plateau (Deu 3:10; Jos 13:11; 2Ki 10:33).

2. Bashan

In the North Gilead bordered upon Geshur and Maacah (Jos 13:11, Jos 13:13); and here the natural boundary would be formed by the deep gorge of the Yarmūk and Wādy esh-Shellāleh. In pre-Israelite times the Jabbok (Nahr ez-Zerḳā’, which cuts the country in two, divided the kingdom of Sihon from that of Og (Deu 3:16; Jos 12:2). The frontiers between the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh cannot be indicated with any certainty. Probably they varied at different times (compare Jos 13:24; 1Ch 5:8, 1Ch 5:9, 1Ch 5:11, 1Ch 5:16). It greatly increases the difficulty that so many of the cities named are still unidentified. But in any case it is clear that the bulk of Gilead fell to Gad, so that Gilead might stand for Gad (Jdg 5:17). HAVVOTH-JAIR (which see), “the villages of Jair,” lay in Gilead (Jdg 10:4). The modern division of the country follows the natural features. From the Yarmūk to Nahr ez-Zerḳā is the district of ‛Ajlūn; and from the Zerḳā to the Arnon is el-Belḳā.

3. Geology

The geological formation is the same as that of Western Palestine, but the underlying sandstone, which does not appear West of the Jordan, forms the base slopes of the chain of Moab and Gilead, and is traceable as far as the Jabbok. It is covered in part by the more recent white marls which form the curious peaks of the foothills immediately above the Jordan valley; but reaches above them to an elevation of 1,000 ft. above the Mediterranean on the South, and forms the bed of the Buḳei‛a basin farther East, and 1,000 ft. higher. Above this lies the hard, impervious dolomite limestone which appears in ’the rugged hills round’ the Jabbok and in Jebel ‛Ajlūn, rising on an average 1,500 ft. above the sandstone and forming the bed of the copious springs. It also dips toward the Jordan valley, and the water from the surface of the plateau, sinking down to the surface of their formation, bursts out of the hill slopes on the West in perennial brooks. It was from the ruggedness of this hard limestone that Gilead obtained its name. Above this again is the white chalk of the desert plateau, the same as that found in Samaria and Lower Galilee, with bands of flint or chert in contorted layers, or strewn in pebbles on the surface. Where this formation is deep the country is bare and arid, supplied by cisterns and deep wells. Thus the plateau becomes desert, while the hill slopes abound in streams and springs; and for this reason Western Gilead is a fertile country, and Eastern Gilead is a wilderness (Conder, DB, under the word).

4. Mountains

The uplands of Gilead may be described as the crumpling of the edge of the great eastern plateau ere it plunges into the Ghōr. The average height of the range is about 4,000 ft. above the Jordan valley, or 3,000 ft. above the Mediterranean. The greatest height is toward the South, where it culminates in Jebel Osh‛a (3,597 ft.), to the North of es-Salṭ. This mountain commands a most spacious view. To the East of it lies the hollow (an old lake bottom) of el-Buḳei‛a, fully 1,500 ft. lower. In the North we have Jebel Hakart (3,408 ft.) W, of Reimūn. Almost as high (3,430 ft.) is Jebel Kafkafah, about 12 miles to the Northeast. A striking point (2,700 ft.) fully 2 miles Northwest of ‛Ajlūn, is crowned by Ḳal‛at er-Rabad, whence again a view of extraordinary extent is gained.

5. Streams and Products

The Yarmūk and the Zerḳā - see JABBOK - are the main streams, but almost every valley has its perennial brook. While not so rich as the volcanic loam in the North and in and the South, the soil of Gilead amply repays the labor of the husbandman. Of flowers the most plentiful are the phlox, the cistus and the narcissus. Hawthorn, mastic and arbutus abound, while many a glen and slope is shady with shaggy oak woods, and, in the higher reaches, with pines. The streams are fringed with oleander. The monotony of the stony plateau is broken by clumps of the hardy white broom. In the lower ground are found the tamarisk and the lotus, with many a waving cane-brake. The scenery is more beautiful and picturesque than that of any other district of Palestine. The soil is not now cultivated to any great extent; but it furnishes ample pasture for many flocks and herds (Son 6:5).

The Ishmaelites from Gilead (Gen 37:25) were carrying “spicery and balm and myrrh.” From old time Gilead was famed for its BALM (which see). The lōṭ, translated “myrrh” in the above passage, was probably the gum produced by the Cistus ladaniferus, a flower which still abounds in Gilead.

6. History

After the conquest, as we have seen, Gilead passed mainly into the hands of Gad. An Ammonite attack was repulsed by the prowess of Jephthah (Jdg 11:1); and the spite of the Ephraimites was terribly punished (Jdg 12:1). Gilead at first favored the cause of Ishbosheth (2Sa 2:9), but after the murder of that prince the Gileadites came with the rest of Israel to David (2Sa 5:1). By the conquest of the fortress Rabbah, which the Ammonites had continued to hold, the land passed finally under the power of David (2Sa 12:26). David fled to Mahanaim from Absalom, and that rebel prince perished in one of the forests of Gilead (2Sa 17:24; 2Sa 18:6). Joab’s census included Gilead (2Sa 24:6). Solomon had two commissariat districts in Gilead (1Ki 4:13 f,19). Before Ramoth-gilead, which he sought to win back from the Syrians who had captured it, Ahab received his death wound (1Ki 22:1). The Syrians asserted their supremacy in Gilead (2Ki 10:32 f) where Moab and Israel had contended with varying fortune (M S). At length Tiglath-pileser overran the country and transported many of the inhabitants (2Ki 15:29). This seems to have led to a reconquest of the land by heathenism, and return to Gilead was promised to Israel (Zec 10:10).

At a later time the Jewish residents in Gilead were exposed to danger from their heathen neighbors. On their behalf Judas Maccabeus invaded the country and met with striking success (1 Macc 5:9ff). Alexander Janneus, who had subdued Gilead, was forced to yield it again to the king of Arabia (Ant., XIII, xiv, 2; BJ, I, iv, 3). During the Roman period, especially in the 2nd and 3rd centuries ad, the land enjoyed great prosperity. Then were built such cities as Gadara and Gerasa, which are still imposing, even in ruins. The appearance of the Moslem armies was the signal for its decay. Attempts were made to recover it for Christianity by Baldwin I (1118 ad) and Baldwin II (1121 ad); and the Crusaders left their mark in such strong-holds as Ḳal‛at er-Rabad and the castle at es-Salṭ. With the reassertion of Moslem supremacy a curtain falls over the history of the district; and only in comparatively recent times has it again become known to travelers. The surveys directed by the Palestine Exploration Fund, in so far as they have been carried out, are invaluable. North of the Jabbok are many villages, and a fair amount of cultivation. Es Salṭ is the only village of any importance in the South. It is famous for its raisins. Its spacious uplands, its wooded and well-watered valleys have been for centuries the pasture-land of the nomads.

Literature

Useful information will be found in Merrill, East of the Jordan; Oliphant, Land of Gilead; Thomson, LB; and especially in Conder, Heth and Moab, and in Memoirs of the Survey of Eastern Palestine.

The Bible uses the name Gilead in a number of ways, all of them in relation to the territory that Israel occupied east of the Jordan River. This area was a large tableland, broken by rivers that ran through deep gorges. (For details of trans-Jordan in general see PALESTINE, sub-heading ‘Jordan Valley and Dead Sea’.)

Geographically, Gilead was the region between the Yarmuk River (southern boundary of the land once known as Bashan) and the northern tip of the Dead Sea (Deu 3:10). The Jabbok River divided this territory approximately in halves. The eastern part of the tribe of Manasseh lived in the northern half, and the tribe of Gad in the southern half (Deu 3:12-13). The Bible may refer to either half as Gilead. It calls the northern half (Manasseh) Gilead in Jos 17:1; Jos 17:6 and half-Gilead in Jos 13:29-31. It calls the southern half (Gad) Gilead in Jos 13:24-25 and half-Gilead in Jos 12:2. It mentions the two halves together in Deu 3:12-13.

The Bible speaks of Gilead in yet another sense, and that is to refer to the whole of the former Amorite territory that Israel’s two and a half eastern tribes occupied. This area included the land of Bashan in the far north and the tribal area of Reuben in the far south. Its southern border was the Arnon River, which divided Reuben from neighbouring Moab (Jdg 10:8; Jdg 20:1; 2Ki 15:29; see BASHAN; MOAB).

Gilead, like the rest of the area east of Jordan, had large open plains that were good for raising sheep and cattle. The region was also good for growing fruit and grain, and had hilly areas of forest (Num 32:1; Num 32:26; Num 32:36; Jer 22:6; Jer 50:19). It was famous for its balm, which people believed had healing properties and which they therefore used extensively in making medicines (Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11; Jer 51:8).

Chief towns of Gilead that feature in the Old Testament story are Jabesh-gilead (Jdg 21:8-12; 1Sa 11:1; 1Sa 31:8-13), Mahanaim (Gen 32:1-2; Jos 21:38; 2Sa 2:29; 2Sa 17:24), Ramoth-gilead (Jos 21:38; 1Ki 22:3-4; 2Ki 8:28; 2Ki 9:1-3), Succoth (Gen 33:17; Jos 13:27; Jdg 8:4-16) and Penuel (Gen 32:31; Jdg 8:4-17; 1Ki 12:25).

In New Testament times the former land of Gilead fell partly within the Decapolis and partly within Perea. Towns of the region that feature in the New Testament story are Gadara, Gerasa and Bethany-beyond-Jordan (Mat 4:25; Mat 8:28; Mar 5:1; Mar 7:31; Joh 1:28; see DECAPOLIS; PEREA).

The area east of the Jordan River

where the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and

half the tribe of Manasseh lived. See

Num. 26:29.