The entire country was called Aniorite, with the exception of the district about Habbath of the chiluren of Amnion {Amman), the Upper Jabbok, which was not then conquered. Sihon was crushed at Jaliaz, south of Heshbon (Nu 2r-^), but the Jazer region, north of He.sbbon, held out, and re- quired a special e.xpedition to subdue it (Nu 21'-). The third step was the successful buttle with Og at Edrei, far to the N.E. of Jazer (Nu 21^). The three final steps in the conquest of the northern portion of the countrj' are mentioned in connexion with Machir, Jair, and Nobah (Nu 32*'-«).
In the diWsion of the territorj- between the two and a half tribes the phrase 'half Gilead' occurs several times. Half belonged to Gad and half to Manasseh (Dt 3'", Jos 13^'). G. had previously been divided in the same way between the two kings Sihon and Og (Jos 12--'). The Hebrews simply retained, it appears, the old distinction. The suggestion has been m.ide that the valley of the Jabbok should be the line dividing the two sections ; but the objections to this view are Derious, first, because tliis valley would not divide G. into halves ; secondly, it would give to the tribe of Gad a small territory, and to ^Ianasseh a very large one, whereas the number of warriors in these two tribes was about equal, requiring a more equal distribution of land.
The two and a half tribes maj' have difl'ered in their tastes from their brethren, for they seem to have been exceptionally rich in cattle, and these wide pasture lands appealed to them as desirable for their future home (Nu 32'). The present writer having lived in that region for months, and travelled through it in many directions, ha.s ofteu been im- pressed with its attractiveness, in contrast, for instance, with the rocky hills of Juda-a. Its natural beauties, of many varieties, form landscape pictures which it is delightful to recall.
It is no wonder that these tribes were eager to call these lands their own. The portion of the Jordan Valley which belonged to G. was of such fertility that it might easily be made one of the gardens of the world. Streams descended from the hills ; there were numerous fountains of sweet cool water, and copious sulphur springs existed in the valley at several diH'crent points (Merrill, East of the Jordan, pp. 143, 178, 183, 430). The great Talleys of G. were likewise celebrated. Not to mention that of Heshbon on the .south, there was that of the Jabbok, Zi-r/.a, famous in connexion with the history of .lacob; the Mcnadirch, near the south end of the Sea of Galilee, having a stream nearly equal to the Jordan in size ; also yV(/<i,v and Ajlitn, along the latter of which ran the great road between Shechem and Rnmoth-gilead.
Among the principal cities of G. were Mahanaim, Succoth, PenucI, -Mizpeh, Jazer (which wius one of the census stations when IJavid numbered the people- -an evidence of its central position and
importance), Jabesh-gilead, Ramoth-gilead (wnich was a city of refuge, Jos 2i>'), and, in later times, Pella, Gerasa, and several others of the cities of the Decapolis. Of the three commissariat otHcera of Solomon who were assigned to the country east of the Jordan, two were stationed in Gilead proper — one at Kamoth, and the other at Mahanaim (1 K 4"- "). It is noticeable that four of its chief cities had the name Gilead affixed to them, viz. liamoth, Jabesh, Mizpeh, and Jazer (1 Ch 2lP').
G. was to Pal. a sort of bulwark on its eastern border against invading armies from the south, east, and north, and it was a wise providence that planted there' the most warlike tribes, ever ready to defend the national life (Jos 17', 1 Ch 5"). As if in keeping with this idea, much of the history of G. which has a conspicuous place in the biblical records has to do with wars, partly of conquest and partly of defence against powerful enemies. At one time the Hebrews had conquered all the desert tribes lying to the east of them, and had oecuiiied their lands (1 Ch 5). The Ammonites, who for a long time had resisted the invaders, were at last, under Jephthah, thoroughly subdued, and twenty of their strongest cities taken from them (Jg IP--''^). The same hero, partly by bravery and partly by a curious stratagem, gained a great victory over the Ephraimites (Jg 12). It was on the soil of G. that Gideon swept back to their desert home the routed hosts of Midian (Jg 8). Here occurred the fierce battle between the army of David and that of Absalom, in which the latter lost his life (2S IS). Furthermore, at the national stronghold, Kamoth-gilead, battle after battle was fought for its ownership. The Syrians of Damascus had captured it, and an attempt to regain it cost Ahab his life. A little later Joram succeeded in wresting it from the enemy, and held it against the powerful assaults of Hazael the Syrian king (2 K y'''). Once, indeed, and probably on several other occasions during their history, tiie strength of the brave inhabitants was broken by invading armies from Assyria, and, according to custom, Tiglath- pileser carriecl them away captive (1 Ch 5-*). See George Smith, Asst/rian ICponym Canon, ch. vi. on 'Assyrian Notices of Palestine,' pp. 10(!-1.">0.