Kirjath Jearim
“City of forests, or city of woods”
Summary
A city of Gibeon where the ark of the covenant rested for twenty years after being returned by the Philistines, also known as Baalah and Kirjath-baal.
☩Location and Names
Kirjath-jearim was one of the four cities of the Gibeonite confederation that deceived Joshua into making a treaty with them. The name means "city of forests" or "city of woods," reflecting the wooded terrain of the area. The city was also known by several other names: Baalah, indicating it was once a center of Baal worship; Kirjath-baal, meaning "city of Baal"; and Baaleh-judah. It was situated on the border between Judah and Benjamin, typically assigned to Judah, and located about nine miles from Jerusalem on the road to Joppa.
☩The Ark's Resting Place
Kirjath-jearim gained its greatest significance as the resting place of the ark of the covenant. When the Philistines returned the ark after plagues struck them, it came first to Beth-shemesh. After the men of Beth-shemesh were struck down for looking into the ark, the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim brought it up to the house of Abinadab on the hill, where his son Eleazar was consecrated to keep it. The ark remained there for approximately twenty years until David brought it to Jerusalem. During this time, "all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord," suggesting a spiritual awakening prompted by the ark's presence.
☩Later History
The city continued to be inhabited through the monarchic period. Uriah the prophet, who prophesied against Jerusalem in the days of Jehoiakim and was executed for his message, came from Kirjath-jearim. After the Babylonian exile, descendants of the original inhabitants returned to resettle the city. The modern village of Abu Ghosh or Qaryat el-'Anab is generally identified with the ancient site.
Related Verses13 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Kirjath-Jearim," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Kirjath-Jearim," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Kirjath-Jearim," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Kirjath Jearim," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).