Another jdiase of interest attaching to G. was that it was a refuge for royalty. It was here that Saul's son Ish-bosheth was made king bv Abner (2S2'-''). Thither Absalom fled when he feared the anger of his father, and there he remained tlirce years (2 S 13**). David, in turn, found an asylum among its friendly inhabitants when the rebellion of Absalom wa.s at its height (2 S 17-''''-*).
G., however, was not always a scene of contlict, for some of the pleasantest incidents of sacred history are connected with it. It was the place of reconciliation between Jacob and Laban, when the memorable words were uttered, 'The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another ' (Gn 31*^). No less characteristic and beautiful, taking all its incidents", was Jacob's re- conciliation with Esau (Gn 33). When the brave men of Jabesh-gilead risked their lives to recover the bodies of Saul and his sons from the enemy, and from terrible disgrace, there wa.s displayed in that act the highest tvpe of lioth loyalty and humanity (1 S 31"'"). The kindnesses shown by the people of G. to David in the hour of his fore extremity were the expression of true-hearted jiity for theirliumiliated kmi; ; and a little later l!ar- zillai's leave-taking of him on the banks of the .Ionian was surpa-ssingly tender (2 S 17-''* 19""). Again, we see iriijah, the greatest piophet of OT, ciiming forth from his home in the (Jilead hills (I K 17'), and taking a foremost place amonc; the spirit u li leaders of the world. Still later and brighter we find our Lord making to this region at least tw
176
GILEAD, BALM OF
GILUAL
interesting visits ; and not long after His death, when tlio armies of Kome were at the gates of Jerua., we lind the Christians of the Holy City, now doomed to destruction, taking refuge in Pella, at that time one of GUead's most attractive cities (Euseb. HE iii. 5).
In the history and struggles of the Maccabrean period G. played an important part ; and later, during the Iloman occupation, its natural resources were highly developed. These, even in the present degraded condition of the country, are seen to be great, and, under more favourable conditions of government than now exist, a wonderful degree of prosperity might easily be restoreil to ancient Gilead. S. Merkill.
GILEAD, BALM OF See Balm.
GILEAD, MOUNT (ij^?? -n).— In Jg 7', when Gideon, before his conflict with the Midianites, is about to reduce the number of the people with him, there occur the words, ' Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and make a cir- cuit (?)* ixom Mount Gilead.' Gideon's men are encamped (see v.') on the N. or N.W. spur of Gilboa ; and as Gilead, in the ordinary acceptation of the term, was on the East of Jordan, it becomes a question what is here meant. (1) Studer (Cumin, ad loc.) supposed that as the Midianites lay in the Vale of Jezreel, N. of Gilboa, between the men of Asher, etc. (6"), and their homes, they were bidden to cross tlie Jordan, and so, by a circuit through Mt. GOead, evade the enemy. If such were the author's meaning, it would be very obscurely and indirectly expressed. (2) Le Clerc'( 1708) proposed to read 'from Mount Gilboa' for 'from Mount Gilead'; and this reading is adopted by Hitz., Berth., Keil (alternatively), Griitz, Reuss, and others. The mention of the spot on which the host was encamped has been deemed ' superfluous ' (Stud.). Yet the narrator (who, it is to be re- membered, really penned the sentence) may have thus specified it for the sake of emphasis. (3) The Vale N. of GUboa is now called the Nahr Jaliid, and there is a sprin", 'Ain Jaliid, issuing forth from the foot of Mt. Gilboa, about If miles E.S.E. of Zerin (Jezreel), and probably the 'Spring of Harod ' of Jg 7' ; and it is possible that the part of the Gilboa range on which Gideon's men were, may have been called ' Mount Gilead ' ; there are cases in which the original y is not preserved in a modern name (cf. Keil [altern.], G. A. Smith, Georir. p. 398 n.). (4) Moore emends \\ni ng-is'l : 'Let him return. And Gideon tried them ; and there re- turned,' etc. But 'let him return' is rather abrupt (contrast Dt 20') ; and try (test), in spite of v.*, is not altogether suitable in v.'. On the whole, (2) seems the most probable. S. R. Driver.
GILEADITES.— By this term a branch of the
* The word is a aT. \ty., and the meaDing is far from certain. No root HD^i, logo round, is linown in either Heb. or the cog- nate laniruaKes. ISS in the Mishna, and Jl^ in Arab., are
t» braid, pliil ; hence .1^'?!;. Is 28', a plaited garland or chap- let (Aq. Thcod. ir\iyfi.a.), and in the Mishna the plaited rim of a basket. The only support for a verb nai to go round would be either (1) the assumption that it was the root of n*i*Ci! in the obscure passajje P^zk 7'(in v.io the sense chaplet suffices), supposing — what is anything but certain — that it there means the round (of fate), or the turn (of fortune — xetTarr/M^r,)- or (2) the supposition that it was a denominative from ri*3*?;£ garland, regarded simply as something forming a circle. It 18 evident how hj-pothetical either of these etjTnologies is.