iS'o doubt the name Jabesh is preserved in the modem Yabis, and when on the line of this stream
in the Gilead bills one is near the site of tliij ancient city, liobhison (Bill'- iii. Sl'Jf. ) suggeste« a [ilace, ctl-Dcir, lying south of Wady Yabis ; but this has no ancient ruins, and, besides, it is some distance oil the main road. l>"roin researches made in this region bj' the present writer, a more a]i|iro- priale place would seem to be Miri/iimin, a point north of Wady Yabis on the ancient road leading over the mountain, wlicre there are massive ancient remains. This is about 7 miles from Pella, and corresponds to the statement of Eusebius in his Onomasticon (268. 81), our best nntliority in the absence of anv special biblical indications as to its site (Merrill, iiast 0/ tlie Jon/an, ji. 4S9).
S. Merrill.
JABEZ ([■;;,•;). — A descendant of Judah, who w.is 'more honourable than his brethren.' His name is traced to the fact that his mother bare luiii with sorrow (3>i' 'Ozeb), 1 Ch 4". The same play ujion words recurs in his prayer or vow in the expression ■?s;( -n^j^ ' that it be not to my sorroic,' v.'". (On the correctness of MT see Killcl's note, ad toe, in Haupt's SBOT, and on the po.ssibility of a clause ha^Tng dropped out, Kautzsc-li, ad luc, in his AT).
J. A. Ski.bie.
JABEZ (I'Sy:). — A place inhabited by scribes, apparently in Judah, 1 Ch 2". The site is un- known.
JABIN (I'5; 'discerning,' 'la.pcli>,'laptls).—i. King of Hazor in N. Palestine, defeated by Joshua at the Waters of Meroni [Jos U'-" (JE) '"-'» (p-)].
2. .Jabiu, ' king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor,' occurs again in Jg 4. He takes no part in the battle of the Kishon, nor is he mentioned in the ancient song (.Ig 5). The introduction of Jabin and of Hazor into this narrative creates manj' ditliculties, and tlie title ' king of Canaan ' arouses suspicion. The probability is that two traditions relating to Jabin and Sisera have been united, and harmonized by making Sisera the captain of Jabin's host (cf. Ps 83'- '", which implies the union of the two traditions). The Jabin tradition probably pre- served an account of the early struggles of Naiihtali and Zebulun for their territory in the north. The two clans had made Kedesli their licadquarters, and successfully defeated Jabin king of Hazor, who had combined with the neighbouring Canaanitea to resist the intruders. This tradition forms the basis of the battle of Merom in Jos 11, which has been generalized by the Deut. redactor, and treated as the conquest of N. Palestine by Joshua and all Israel. G. A. CoOKE.
JABNEEL (Snj^: ' El causeth to build,' B Ae^xd, A 'Ia/3>'i)\, for other forms see below; in Apocr. 'ia/ii'eia or -ta or -vv-, Jcbncel, Jabnia, Jamnia). — 1. A town on the northern border of Judah, near the sea, mentioned after Ekron, Shikkeron, and Mount Baalah (Jos 15"). It is not mentioned in the lists of cities of Judah, Dan, or Simeon in the Bk. of Joshua, but in Jos 15*'' LXX substitutes Yeixvi (B) or 'lefj-val (A), Jabneh, for MT rv;^ 'even unto the sea.' It does not appear again in the OT until 2 Ch 26', where under the name of Jabneh (n:?:, LXX B 'k^evinip, A 'lajSeis) it is captured alon" with Gath and Ashdod from the Philistines by king Uzziah, and its wall broken down. Josephus (Ant. v. i. 22) describes it as belonging to the tribe of Dan, in company with Gath and Ekron, and mentions it w-ith the inland towns Marisisa and Ashdod in contradistinction to the maritime towTis Gaza, Joppa, and Dora [Ant. XIV. iv. 4 ; BJ I. vii. 7). It is spoken of (Jth 2^) under the name of Jemnaan as in fear and dread of Holofenies. Under the name Jamnia (1 Mac 4'* 5" 10"" 15*) it is referred to as a garrison, with plains near it, Gorgias in command (^r!<. xil. viii. 6). In 2 Mac 12*- "• *"
JABNEEL
JACHIN
525
Judas Maccabceua set fire to tlie haven and navy of Janmia, so that the light of the lire was seen at Jerusalem, 240 furlongs oil'. Pliny (HN v. 13) speaks of the two Jamnias 'Jamnes duse, altera inlus,' and places them between Azotus and Joppa. See lielaud, yai. p. 823. Ptolemy (v. IG) speaks of the port of the Jamnites between Azotus and Joppa, and subsequently mentions Jarania among the cities of Juda?a.
In common with Ashkelon, Azotus, and Gaza, the harbour or naval arsenal of Jamnia bore the name of Mnjuinas (Reland, p. 590 f.; Raumer, Kenrick, Pha'.nirin • Le t2uien,C'n(;niC7iWs<. ). Jamnia was taken from the Syrians (c. B.C. 142) by Simon Maccabanis (Ant. XIII. vi. "; BJl. ii. 2), and it was restored (n.c. 63) to its inhabitants by Pompey {Ant. XIV. iv. 4) ; it was repaired or rebuilt (c. B.C. 57) b}' Gabinius (BJ l. viii. 4), and was given to the Jews by Augustus (B.C. 30). Herod bequeathed (B.C. 4) Jamnia {Ant. xvil. viii. 1) to Salome his sister, and she left it with all its toparchy to Julia the wife of Augustus Ciesar {Ant. xvill. ii. 2; B.J II. ix. 1). Philo Judseus (de Legat. ad Gaium, 0pp. vol. ii. p. 575) states that in this town, the most populous of Judiea, a Koman oflicer named Capito raised an altar of mud for the deification of the emperor Caligula ; the Jews demolished the altar, and the incensed emperor forth\vith ordered an equestrian statue of himself to be erected in tlie Holy of Holies at Jerusalem (c. A.D. 37). Strabo (Bk. 16, ' Syria ') states that lamneia and the settle- ments around were so populous that they could furnish 40,000 soldiers. The Talmud abounds with references to the learned Rabbins who frequented the school at Janmia. Milman {Hist, of Jews) states that it contained a school of Jewish learning which obtained great authority, and whether from the rank and character of its head, or from the assemblage of many of the members of the ancient Sanhedrin, who formed a sort of community in that place, it was looked upon with great respect and veneration by the Jews who remained in Palestine. This school was subsequently suppressed by the Romans, owin" to the imprudent speeches of the fiery Simon ben-Jochai. Before the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, according to Jewish tradi- tion the Sanhedrin escaped the general ^vreck. Before the formation of the siege, it had followed Gamaliel, its Nasi, or Prince, to Jabneh (Jamnia ; Milman, Hist, of Jews). According to tradition also, the great Gamaliel was buried in Jamnia, and his tomb was visited by Parchi in the 14th cent. In the time of Eusehins, Jamnia was but a small ]ilaee of little importance. It gave a bishoj) to the Council of Nic.va, and had still a bishop in the time of the emperor Justinian (Epi{)h. adv. llrrr. ii. 730).