Pillar, Plain of the

Pillar, Plain of The. Or rather, "oak of the pillar", (that being the real signification of the Hebrew word, elon). A tree which stood near Shechem, and, at which the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo, assembled to crown Abimelech, the son of Gideon. Jdg 9:6.

PILLAR, PLAIN OF THE.—In Jdg 9:6 we read that the men of Shechem made Abimelech king ‘by the plain (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ; RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘oak,’ RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ‘terebinth’) of the pillar.’ The correct translation is undoubtedly ‘the terebinth of the pillar,’ the meaning being the sanctuary of Shechem. The ‘pillar’ refers to the sacred stone, originally a fetish, which was often found in holy places along with the sacred tree (see preced. article).

W. F. Boyd.

See PLAIN OF THE PILLAR.