BAALBEK
BAALBEK [HELIOPOLIS.]
BAAL-GAD, in the northern extremity of the Holy Land, “in the valley of Lebanon, under Mount Hermon.” (
Josh. 11.17, 12.7, 13.5.) [
G.W]
BAAL-MEON, a city of the tribe of Reuben (
Numb. 32.38; 1
Chron. 5.8), afterwards occupied by the Moabites. (
Ezek. 25.9.)
It is mentioned by St. Jerome as a large village in his time, and is placed by him and Eusebius nine miles distant from Heshbon, and near Bare (
Baara). (Reland,
Palaest. pp. 487, 611.) Burckhardt identifies it with Myoun, 3/4 of an hour SE. of the ruins of Heshbon (
Travels, p. 385); but this would not be more than 2 or 3 miles, which is too short an interval. Yet the name (written by Irby and Mangles “
Mayn,” p. 464), and the neighbouring hot springs (see St. Jerome,
l.c.), seem to identify it with the Scripture site.
It stands on a considerable eminence, in a fertile plain. [
G.W]
BAAL-SHALISHA (2
Kings, 4.42), a town, it would seem, of the district of Shalisha (1
Sam. 9.4), called by Eusebius and St. Jerome Beth-salisa, is placed by them 15 miles north of Diospolis (Lydda), in the Thammitic district. (Reland, p. 611.) [
G.W]
BAAL-TAMAR, a town of the tribe of Benjamin, in the vicinity of Gibeah. (
Judges, 20.33.)
It existed in the time of Eusebius under the name of Beth-amar. (Reland, p. 611.)
[
G.W]