Overview:
Abel-beth-maacah, also referred to simply as Abel or Abel-maim, is a significant city mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. It is located in the northern part of ancient Israel, near the border with Aram (modern-day Syria). The city is noted for its strategic importance and its involvement in several biblical narratives.

Biblical References:
Abel-beth-maacah is mentioned in several passages in the Old Testament. One of the most notable references is found in 2 Samuel 20:14-22, where the city becomes the focal point of a rebellion led by Sheba, the son of Bichri. Sheba, a Benjamite, revolts against King David, and Joab, David's military commander, pursues him to Abel-beth-maacah. The city's inhabitants, led by a wise woman, negotiate with Joab to end the siege by delivering Sheba's head, thus saving the city from destruction.

Another reference to Abel-beth-maacah is found in 1 Kings 15:20 and 2 Chronicles 16:4, where it is mentioned in the context of the military campaigns of Ben-hadad I, the king of Aram. Ben-hadad, at the request of King Asa of Judah, attacks the northern kingdom of Israel and captures several cities, including Abel-beth-maacah.

Geographical and Historical Context:
Abel-beth-maacah is situated in the region of Upper Galilee, near the modern-day border between Israel and Lebanon. The city's location made it a key defensive and administrative center in the ancient Near East. Its proximity to the Aramean territories often placed it at the center of regional conflicts.

Archaeological excavations at the site, identified with the modern Tell Abil el-Qameh, have revealed significant remains from various periods, including the Bronze and Iron Ages. These findings provide insights into the city's historical significance and its role in the broader geopolitical landscape of the time.

Cultural and Theological Significance:
The narrative of Abel-beth-maacah in the Bible highlights themes of wisdom, negotiation, and the preservation of life. The wise woman's intervention in 2 Samuel 20 demonstrates the power of diplomacy and the value of community leadership in resolving conflicts. This account also underscores the importance of cities as centers of refuge and negotiation in ancient Israelite society.

The city's repeated mention in military contexts reflects the turbulent nature of the region during the biblical period. Abel-beth-maacah's strategic location made it a target for conquest and a site of political intrigue, illustrating the complex interplay of power and politics in the biblical narrative.

Related Entries:
· Sheba son of Bichri
· Joab
· Ben-hadad I
· King Asa
· Aram (Syria)
· Upper Galilee

Quotations from the Berean Standard Bible :
2 Samuel 20:14-22: "Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him. And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city, and it stood against the rampart. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to bring it down, a wise woman called out from the city, 'Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so I can speak with him.' When he had come near to her, the woman asked, 'Are you Joab?' 'I am,' he replied. 'Listen to the words of your servant,' she said. 'I am listening,' he answered. Then she said, 'In the past they used to say, "Seek counsel at Abel," and that is how disputes were settled. I am among the peaceful and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?' 'Far be it, far be it from me!' Joab declared, 'that I would swallow up or destroy! That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri from the hill country of Ephraim has lifted up his hand against King David. Deliver him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.' 'Look,' the woman replied, 'his head will be thrown to you over the wall.' Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem."ABEL-BETH-MAACAH

a'-bel-beth-ma'-a-ka ('abhel beth ma`akhah, "the meadow of the house of Maacah"): The name appears in this form in 1 Kings 15:20 and 2 Kings 15:29. In 2 Samuel 20:15 (Hebrew) it is Abel-beth-hammaacah (Maacah with the article). In 20:14 it appears as Beth-maacah, and in 20:14 and 18 as Abel.

In 2Sa it is spoken of as the city, far to the north, where Joab besieged Sheba, the son of Bichri. In 2 Kings it is mentioned, along with Ijon and other places, as a city in Naphtali captured by Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria. The capture appears also in the records of Tiglath-pileser. In 1 Kings it is mentioned with Ijon and Dan and "all the land of Naphtali" as being smitten by Benhadad of Damascus in the time of Baasha. In the account in Chronicles parallel to this last (2 Chronicles 16:4) the cities mentioned are Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim. Abel-maim is either another name for Abel-beth-maacah, or the name of another place in the same vicinity.

The prevailing identification of Abel-beth-maacah is with Abil, a few miles West of Dan, on a height overlooking the Jordan near its sources. The adjacent region is rich agriculturally, and the scenery and the water supply are especially fine. Abel-maim, "meadow of water," is not an inapt designation for it. Willis J. Beecher

62. Abel Beth-maakah -- a city in Northern Israel
... a city in Northern Israel. Transliteration: Abel Beth-maakah Phonetic Spelling:
(aw-bale' bayth ma-a-kaw') Short Definition: Abel-beth-maacah. ...
/hebrew/62.htm - 6k

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7. <. ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6. <. ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Abelbethmaacah
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ABEL-BETH-MAACAH. ... Abel-maim is either another name
for Abel-beth-maacah, or the name of another place in the same vicinity. ...
/a/abelbethmaacah.htm - 7k

Abel-beth-maacah (2 Occurrences)
Abel-beth-maacah. Abelbethmaacah, Abel-beth-maacah. A'bel-Beth-Ma'acah . Int. ...
Abelbethmaacah, Abel-beth-maacah. A'bel-Beth-Ma'acah . Reference Bible.
/a/abel-beth-maacah.htm - 8k

Ijon (3 Occurrences)
... It was captured along with Dan and Abel-beth-maacah (1 Kings 15:20 2 Chronicles
16:4). It shared with these cities a similar fate at the hands of Tiglath ...
/i/ijon.htm - 8k

A'bel-Beth-Ma'acah (2 Occurrences)
A'bel-Beth-Ma'acah. Abel-beth-maacah, A'bel-Beth-Ma'acah. Abelbethmaachah . ...
(See RSV). Abel-beth-maacah, A'bel-Beth-Ma'acah. Abelbethmaachah . ...
/a/a'bel-beth-ma'acah.htm - 7k

Maacah (30 Occurrences)
... thus be hemmed in by Israel, which accounts for `Geshur and Maacath dwell in the
midst of Israel" (Joshua 13:13).It is possible that Abel-beth-maacah may have ...
/m/maacah.htm - 20k

Abel (22 Occurrences)
... of a city concerned in the rebellion of Sheba (2 Samuel 20:14; compare 1 Samuel
6:18), though it is there probably an abridgment of the name Abel-beth-maacah. ...
/a/abel.htm - 22k

Janoah (3 Occurrences)
... It is named with Abel-beth-maacah and Kedesh (2 Kings 15:29). It may be identical
with Yanuch, a village about 6 miles East of Tyre. W. Ewing. ...
/j/janoah.htm - 8k

Naph'tali (47 Occurrences)
... And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against
the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maacah, and all ...
/n/naph'tali.htm - 18k

Pekah (11 Occurrences)
... Cities particularly mentioned are Ijon (now `Ayun), Abel-beth-maacah (now `Abi),
Janoah (now Yanun), Kedesh (now Kados) and Hazor (now Hadireh). ...
/p/pekah.htm - 19k

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