JARMUTH (nnv, lofty ;' 'Ieptiota and ',Loa ; yerimoth), an ancient royal city of Canaan, and one of the five which joined in the league against the Gibeonites, and were defeated by Joshua (Josh. x. 3). Its king was hanged with the others at Makkedah (ver. 23 ch. xii. r1). Jartnuth was situated in the Sheplelah (A. V. Valley') or plain of Philistia, and was assigned to Judah (xv. 35). It was occupied by the Jews after the return from captivity (Neh. xi. 29). The geographical position of Jarmuth is not stated in the Bible, farther than that it lay in the Shephelah ; but as it is enumerated with Adullarn and Socho, we can have no difficulty in identifying it with the modern village of Yarmuk a name almost identical with the Hebrew Jarmuth. It appears to be this city which Eusebius calls lep Aar, and Jerome yermus, stating that in their day it was a village ten miles distant from Eleuthero polis, on the road to Jerusalem (Onomast. s. v.) Under yarignuth, however (which Eusebius writes 'fai3eis), Jerome states that it is a city captured by Joshua, given to Judah, and four miles distant from Eleutheropolis towards Eshtaol. It would
seem to be the same city which is alluded to in both places, but probably some error may have crept into the text of the Onomasticon. Yarmilk is about eight miles from Eleutheropolis, and is situated on the crest of a rugged hill. As the writer saw it from the vales of Bethshemesh and Elah, and again from the ridge of Beit Nettff, perched on its airy site, and clearly defined against the bright sky, he could not but think that it well deserved its name, the lofty.' The village is small and poor, but there are a few traces, in the hewn stones and ruins, of past strength and great ness (Handbook for S. and P., p. 2S; ; Robinson, B. R., ii. 17 ; Van de Velde, Memoir, p. 324).
2. A Levitical town of Issachar (Josh. xxi. 29); identical with the Remeth of Josh. xix. 21, and the Ramoth of Chron. vi. 73. See RAMOTH. J. L. P.