Merorim. See Bitteis (IIeubs).
Meroth (Mj;pw3') or Mero (.M»;|Ou.), a fortified town of Galilee (.Josephus, War, ii, '10, G; Life, p. 37), probably the Meiron ("I""";) of the Talmud (Keland, Palast. p. 817); now the village of Meirvn, about If hours west-north-west of Safed ; famous for Jewish pil- grimages to the tombs of their ancient rabbis (Wilson, Lands of the Bible, ii, 311 ; Carmoly, Itin. p. 133, 260; Kobinson, Researches, iii, 334 ; Later Pes. p. 73, 74 ; Schwarz, Palest, p. 70 note, 186 ; Van de Velde, Memoii; p. 334). See A-MEHYTHA ; Meroji; Meroz.
Me'roz (Heb. Meroz', fiTC, perh., as suggested by Gesenius, for TTiX'2, from the .Vrabic, refuge; but Furst disapproves of tliis etymology; Sept. I\I>;pwi^, Vulg. terra Meroz), a place in the northern part of Palestine, the inhabitants of which were severely reprehended (Judg. V, 23) for not having taken the field w ith Barak against Sisera (comp. Judg. xxi, 8-10; 1 Sam. xi, 7). It would seem as if they had had an opportunity of ren- dering some particular «nd important service to the public cause which they neglected (see Dr. Pobinson's note in the Bib.Repos. 1831, p. 600). The tradiiion of its site was lost as early as the time of Proct.pius of Gaza, who had attempted in vain to recover it (IJeland, I'aUvst. p. 890). Possibly the city was utterly ikslroycd in consequence of the curse. In the Jewisli traditions preserved in the Commentary on the Song of Deborah attributed to .Jerome, Meroz, which may be interpret- ed as secret, is made to signify the evil angels who led on tlie Canaanites. and are cursed by Jlichael. the angel of Jehovah, the leader of the Israelites. Eusebius and Jerome (Oimmast. s. v. Merrus) fix it twelve Homan miles from Sebaste, on the road to Dothaim; but this position would place it south of the field of battle, and therefore scarcely agrees with the history. Schwarz (/'«/('*•/. p. 36) says it is mentioned in the Talmud under the name of Marchesheth or Martshelh, and locates it (i6. p. 168) at the village of .Murnsgiis, two or three miles north or north-west of Bethshan, on the line of hills separating the basin of Tayibeh from the valley of Jezreel (Robinson's Researches, new ed. iii, 339). The , town must have commaniled the Pass, and if any of Siser.a's people attempted, as the Jlidianites did when routed by (iideon, to escape in that direction, its inhab- itants might no doubt have prevented their doing so, and have slaughtered them. Fiirst (Lex. s. v.) sug- gests that it was a locality in a district of (ialilec jtarlly inhabiieil l)y (kntiles (1 Kings ix, 11), not far from Ke- desh-Xaphtali, and consequently in the neighborhood of
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the Lake Merom, perhaps the locahty (reading QTT?, high place) which gave name to the lake itself. Wilson (Lands of the Bible, ii, 89) itlentifles it with the Kefr- Mesr, on the southern slope of Mount Tabor, and this Van de Velde approves (Memoir, p. 334). Thomson thinks it may be the present Meiron, a famous Jewish cemetery six miles west of Safed ; this would be between Barak's residence and Tabor (Judg. iv, 12), and there- fore render the inhabitants liable to a summons to arms by the Hebrew general (Land and Bool; i, 424). This last place is possibly the Meroth, strongly fortified by Josephus (Life, p. 37; 1V'«/-, ii, 20, 6; iii, 3, 1).
Merriam, Edwin Elisha, a Presbyterian minis- ter, was bom in Mason, Hillsborough County, N. H., in 1837. He graduated with honor at Amherst College, Mass., in 1858, and at Union Theological Seminary, N. Y., in 18G3 ; was ordained and installed pastor of the Church in Salem, Wayne County, Pa., in 1864, where he died Feb. 17, 1865. Mr. Merriam possessed superior qualifica- tions for usefulness as a minister, and was much beloved as a pastor. See Presb. Hist. Almanac, 1866, p. 218.
Merriam, "W. "W., an American missionar)' to Tur- key, of whose personal history we know but little, de- serves a place here for his activity and zeal in behalf of the cause of missions, a devotion which cost him his life in June, 1862, when he was assassinated near Phi- lippopolis, Turkey, on his return from a missionary meet- ing at Constantinople. Merriam was appointed by the American Board.
Merrick, James, an English divine, noted for his theological and, especially, for his poetical productions, called by Lowth " one of the best of men and most em- inent of scholars," was born in 1720, and was educated at Trinity College, Oxford. He became a " probation fellow" at his alma mater in 1744, took holy orders shortly after, and became noted for his philanthropic labors. Owing to infirm health he never undertook the task of supplying the pulpit. He died in 1769. When yet a mere boy at school at Reading, Merrick published a poetical production that deserves to be placed among the classical writings of the English. His chief works are, A Dissertation on Proverbs, ch. ix (Lond. 1744, 8vo) : — Prayers for a Time of Earthqualces and Violent Floods, written in 1756, soon after the earthquake at Lisbon: — Annotations. Critical and Grammatical, on the Gospel of St. John (Reading, 1764, 8vo; 2d pt. 1767, 8vo) : — Annotations on the Psalms (ibid. 1767, 8 vo; 1768, 4to), of which onh' part were his own; archbishop Seeker, bishop Lowth, and Kennicott were contributors : ■ — An Encouragement to a Good Life, particularly ad- dressed to soldiers quartered at Reading, among whom he labored much for the good of the Christian cause. Indeed, he appears to have paid great attention to this class of men, who at that time especially required it. He also wrote Poems on Sacred Subjects, and made an excellent Translation of the Psalms into English Verse. This, beyond all doubt the best poetical translation in English, was unfortunately not adapted for parochial choirs, inasmuch as it was divided into stanzas for mu- sic. This work is not perhaps as generally known as its merits would justify. He published several other minor religious treatises. See Orme, Bibliotheca Biblica, p. 313; Allibone, Diet. Brit, and A me?: Authors, s. v.; English Ci/clop. s. v.; Holland, Psalmists of Great Brit- ain, ii, 210 sq.