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RamothGilead

Ramoth-Gilead, also written Ramoth in Gilead, is an ancient city frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. The name Ramoth derives from a Hebrew root meaning “high places,” and Gilead refers to the upland region east of the Jordan River. The city is placed in the territory of Gad within the land allotted to the Israelites in the biblical account.

Location and role. Ramoth-Gilead stood on the eastern bank of the Jordan, in the region commonly identified

Biblical significance. In the books of Kings, Ramoth-Gilead is described as a strategic city and a center

Archaeology and identification. The precise location of Ramoth-Gilead remains uncertain, and multiple sites in the eastern

See also: Cities of refuge; Gad (tribe); Gilead; Ahab; Aram-Damascus.

as
Gilead,
and
formed
part
of
the
eastern
border
areas
associated
with
the
Tribe
of
Gad.
In
biblical
law,
it
was
one
of
the
Levitical
cities
of
refuge
on
the
east
side
of
the
Jordan—alongside
Bezer
and
Golan—established
to
provide
asylum
for
someone
who
killed
unintentionally,
pending
trial.
of
political
and
military
activity.
It
is
notably
the
site
of
the
campaign
against
Aram-Damascus
in
which
King
Ahab
of
Israel
dies
in
battle
after
a
prophecy
by
Micaiah.
The
city
thus
figures
in
key
events
illustrating
Israel’s
northern
frontier
relations
and
interactions
with
neighboring
powers.
Jordan
or
Golan
region
have
been
proposed.
There
is
no
scholarly
consensus
on
the
exact
site,
and
identification
continues
to
be
explored
through
archaeology
and
biblical
geography.