KIRJATH-BAAL (kir'jath-ba'al), (Heb. rir5.) keer-yath' bah'al, city of Baal). This city is more usually called KIRJATH-JEARINI (JOSh. xv:6o; xviii:14).
(Heb. rrw.71 ry:Tp, keer-yath' khoo-tsoth', city of streets), a town in Moab (Num. xxii:39), to which Balak accompanied Balaam after his arrival in Moab. The place has not been identified, though it lay between the Arnon and Bamoth-Baal.
(Heb. C":;": keer-yath'yeh-aw-reem', city of forests).
One of the towns of the Gibeonites (Josh. ix: 17). It was to this place that the ark was brought from Bethshemesh, after it had been re moved from the land of the Philistines, and where it remained till removed to Jerusalem by David (i Sam. vii.; Chron. xiii.).
(1) Ancient Site. This was one of the ancient sites which were again inhabited after the exile (Ezra ii :25; Neh. vii :29). Eusebius and Jerome speak of it as being in their day a village nine or ten miles from Diospolis (Lydda), on the road to Jerusalem. Dr. Robinson thinks it possible posed by him. 'Erma and Jearim are also radical ly different, and the site is too remote from the other Gibeonite settlements.
(Heb.
n*: "r" k er • b' 1- ' e %jai_ san-naw', Josh. xv:49), and (Heb. rq-0, keer-yath' say'fer, both meaning the city of books. or instruction), a city of the tribe of Judah, called also DEBIR ( NC:15, 16; Judg. i :1 1, 12). (SCe DEBIR.) It was situated among the mountains of Judah.
It was captured by Joshua and was given to Caleb. It was retaken by the Canaanites only to be cap tured again by the Israelites, who were led in the attack by Othniel, to whom Caleb for his reward gave his daughter Achsah in marriage (Josh. xv: 15; Judg. i:11).
This city was so called long before Moses ; at least it would seem so by the manner of mention ing it, which proves that books were known be fore that legislator, and that he is not the oldest writer, as the fathers have asserted ; a character which, it is to be observed, lie never assumes.
It is possible that the Canaanites might lodge their records in this city, and those few monu ments of antiquity which they had preserved; or it might be something like the cities of the priests in Israel, the residence of the learned ; a kind of college.
This idea receives confirmation from its other name Debir, which designates an oracle; and seems to hint at a seat of learning; an establish ment, probably, of priests, for the purpose of educating the younger members of their body. The circumstance is very remarkable, because it occurs so early as the days of Joshua ; and is evidently an establishment by the Canaanites, previous to the Hebrew invasion.