town or village

Ramah

• Today Al Ram
• Most likely location

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History

Ramah of Benjamin, whose name means "height", is commonly identified with the village of er-Ram, on a hill by the ridge road about 8 km north of Jerusalem, between Gibeah to the south and Geba to the east. Josephus puts it forty furlongs from Jerusalem, and Eusebius six or seven miles to the north, opposite Bethel (the Greek and Latin texts of his Onomasticon differ). Little archaeological work has been done there; the one modern survey of the site found much pottery of the Iron Age, little of the Persian period and more again of Hellenistic times.

Ramah is listed among the cities of Benjamin. The prophetess Deborah judged Israel under her palm tree between Ramah and Bethel, and the Levite of Judges, on his way home, thought of lodging in Gibeah or in Ramah. The books of Samuel name Ramah as the home of Samuel, where he judged Israel and was buried; 1 Samuel opens in Ramathaim-zophim. Whether this was the same town is disputed: some place Samuel's Ramah here, others elsewhere, for example at Nebi Samwil or farther north-west at Rentis.

Ramah lay on the border between the two kingdoms. Baasha of Israel began to build it so that no one could go out or come in to Asa of Judah; Asa bribed Ben-hadad of Damascus to attack Israel, and when Baasha stopped, Asa carried off its stones and timber and built Geba and Mizpah with them. Isaiah, describing an army marching on Jerusalem from the north, says that Ramah is afraid. After Jerusalem fell in 587 or 586 BC, Nebuzar-adan released Jeremiah at Ramah, where he had been taken in chains among the captives bound for Babylon.

In Jeremiah, Rachel weeps for her children: "A voice was heard in Ramah". Matthew applies these words to the children killed at Bethlehem under Herod. After the exile the men of Ramah and Geba, 621 in all, returned from Babylon, and Ramah is named among the places where the Benjamites lived in Nehemiah's day. In the fourth century Eusebius still knew Rama of Benjamin as the city of Saul, north of Jerusalem.

Scripture: Josh 18:25; Judg 4:5; Judg 19:13–14; 1 Sam 1:1; 1 Sam 1:19; 1 Sam 7:17; 1 Sam 25:1; 1 Kgs 15:17–22; 2 Chr 16:1–6; Isa 10:29; Jer 40:1; Jer 31:15; Matt 2:16–18; Ezra 2:26; Neh 7:30; Neh 11:31–33

Checked against its sources; not yet read by a historian.

Verses (16)

Josh 18:25

Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,

Judg 4:5

And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Judg 19:13

And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

1 Kgs 15:17

And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

1 Kgs 15:21

And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

1 Kgs 15:22

Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

2 Chr 16:1

In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

2 Chr 16:5

And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

2 Chr 16:6

Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

Ezra 2:26

The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.

Neh 7:30

The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.

Isa 10:29

They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

Jer 31:15

Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

Jer 40:1

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.

Hos 5:8

Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

Matt 2:18

In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

King James Version

Tours through this place

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• The fall of Jerusalem and the exile →