Thenceforth the rivalry of Ephraim and Judah was merged in that between the two kingdoms, although still the predominance of Ephraim in the kingdom of Israel was so conspicuous as to oc casion the whole realm to be called by its name, especially when that rivalry is mentioned.
2. A city in the wilderness of Judxa, to which Jesus withdrew from the persecution which fol lowed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead (John xi :54). It is placed by Eusebius (Ephron) eight Roman miles north of Jerusalem, This indication would seem to make it the same with the Ephraim which is mentioned in 2 Chron. xiii :19, along with Bethel and Jeshanah, as towns taken from Jeroboam by Abijah.
3. The mountain of Ephraim was a mountain or group of mountains in central Palestine, in the tribe of the same name, on or towards the bor ders of Benjamin (Josh. xvii :15 ; xix :5o ; xx :7 ; Judg. vii :24 ; xvii ; i Sam. ix :4 ; I Kings iv :8). From a comparison of these pas sages it may be collected that the name of 'Mount Ephraim' was applied to the whole of the ranges and groups of hills which occupy the cen tral part of the southernmost border of this tribe, and which are prolonged southward into the tribe of Benjamin. In the time of Joshua these hills were densely covered with trees (Josh. xvii :f8).
which is by no means the case at present. In Jer. l:ig, Mount Ephraim is mentioned in opposition with Bashan, on the other side of the Jordan, as a region of rich pastures, suggesting that the val leys among these mountains were well watered and covered with rich herbage, which is true at the present day.
4. The forest of Ephraim in which Absalom lost his life (2 Sam. xviii :6-8), was in the coun try east of the Jordan, not far from Mahanaim. How it came to bear the name of a tribe on the other side the river is not known. Some think it was on account of the slaughter of the Ephraim- ites here in the time of Jephthah ( Judg. xii :4-6) ; but others suppose that it was because the Eph raimites were in the habit of bringing their flocks into this quarter for pasture, for the Jews allege that the Ephraimites received from Joshua, who was of their tribe, permission to feed their flocks in the woodlands within the territory of any of the tribes of Israel ; and that as this forest lay neat their territories on the other side the Jordan, they were wont to drive their flocks over to feed there.
(See Jarchi, Kinicht, Abarhanel, etc.) (2 Sam. xviii :b.) 5. A place by the name of Ephraim is also men tioned in 2 Sam. xiii :23. If it is a town there is no clew to its situation.