GILEAD (gfl'e-ad), (Heb. "TIP, ghil-awd', mound of witness).
1. Mountain Range. A group of mountains connected with Lebanon by means of Mount Her mon. It begins not far from the latter, and ex tends southward to the sources of the brooks Jabbok and Arnon, thus enclosing the whole eastern part of the land beyond the Jordan (Gen. xxxi :2 1 ; Cant. iv :1). According to Michaelis (Mos. Reda, i. 86), 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. Beyond the Jordan. (a) The name of a large district beyond the Jordan, continually men tioned in the Scriptures in contradistinction to, or apart from, Bashan (Deut. :13 ; Josh. xii : 5; xiii :ft; xvii :1; 2 Kings x :33; Chron. v : 16; Mic. vii :14) ; though, to judge from its geo graphical position (as given Num.xxxii :26 ; Deut. iii :12), it must have comprised the entire posses sions of the two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and even the southern part of Manasseh (Deut.
13; Num. xxxii :4o; Josh. xvii :f-6). The cities Ramoth, Jabesh, and Jazer, are usually designated as lying in Gilead.
This region was distinguished for its rich pas tures (Num. xxxii :I) and aromatic simples; from which latter different sorts of balsam were prepared—facts confirmed by modern travelers, Seetzen, Burckhardt, etc., with the addition that the whole region is covered with groups of lime stone mountains, intersected by fertile valleys.
(b) The name of the whole eastern part of the Jordan (Deut. xxxiv:1; comp. 2 Kings x:33; Judg. xx :I). The name Gilead continued to be used, in a general and geographical sense, even after the exile ( Macc. v, etc.). Josephus (Antiq. xiii:13, 5) designates it as a part: of Arabia, while its special and topographical name was Penva.
3. A City. A city of this name is apparently mentioned Hos. vi :8; so, at least, it is given in most of the ancient and modern versions, though the meaning may only be that Gilead is (like) a city full of iniquity, e. a union of iniquitous people.