JEARIM, MOUNT (n+v-iri, the mount of thickets ;' Sept. 76Xty'laply ; Alex. 'Iapf,u ; Mortis jarinz), one of the landmarks on the northern bor der of Judah :— The border compassed from Baalah westward unto Mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of 1Wount yearim, which is Chesalon, and went down to Bethshemesh' (Josh. xv. to). Baalah is another name for Kirjath-jearim (ver. 9), now identified with Kuryet el-Enab ; be tween it, therefore, and Bethshemesh, Mount Jearim must have been situated. Behind Kuryet el-Enab, on the south-west, is a steep hill, and south of this hill is the deep glen called Wady Ghurab, running from east to west. About two miles farther south is the parallel Wady Ismail. Between the two Wadys is a high and rugged ridge, on the crest of which stands Keslu, the ancient Chesalon ; and about six miles south-west of the latter are the ruins of Beth shemesh, in a valley. The ridge on which Keslu
stands is doubtless Mount Jearim. Perhaps the hill behind Kuryet el-Enab may be Mount Seir ; from it the border passed over (Wady Ghurab) to the shoulder (Inzix -03,1) of Mount Jearim . . . and then went clown to Bethshemesh' (Josh. xv. to). The topography of Joshua here, as else where, is wonderfully accurate. It may be that a considerable district of the mountains in this loca lity was called Jearim, for Baalah is called Kirjath jearim (` the town of Jearim') ; and if so, then we can see the reason why the explanatory phrase is added, Mount Jearim, which ir Chesalon,' to limit the more general appellative to the narrow ridge between the two wadys. (See Keil on Joshua, ad loc. ; Robinson, B. R., ii. it, 12; Hana'book for S. ana' P., p. 285.)—J. L. P.