1. One of the landmarks on the eastern boundary of the land of Israel, as specified by IMoses (Numb, xxxiv, 11). Its position is noted in this passage with much precision. ■ It was between Shepham and the sea of • Numbers with that of Jeremiah and tlie later histor-
Cinnereth, and on the " east side of the spring." There is but one other incidental notice in Scripture tending to fix the site of Riblah ; it is said lo be "in the land of Hamath" (2 Kings xxiii, 33; xxv, 21 ; Jer. Hi, 9). The land of Hamath lay on the north of the ancient kingdom of Damascus. See Hamath. It embraced the plain on both sides of the Orontes, extending from the city of Hamath southward to the fountain of the Orontes. This position, however, seems inconsistent with the preceding, inasmuch as Hazar-enan, the start- ing-point from the extreme north of the east border, lay at a considerable distance to the east of Hamath (the order given being thus: "entrance to Hamath, Zedad, Ziphron, Hazar-enan," Nimib. xxxiv, 8, 9 ), so that a line
ieal books. But Palestine never actually extended thus far north, and the arguments of Keil (ad loc.) appear to us conclusive that another Riblah must there be meant south of Mt. Hermon, perhaps the site afterwards called Leshem and Dan, the present Tell el-Kudy. Sie Tribe.
2. Riblah of Hamath lay on the great road between Palestine and Babylonia, at which the kings of Baby- lonia were accustomed to remain while directing the operations of their armies in Palestine and Phoenicia. Here Nebuchadnezzar waited while tiie sieges of Jeru- salem and of Tyre were conducted by his heutenants; hither were brought to him the wretched king of Ju- da>a and his sons, an<l after a time a selection from
drawn towards the Sea of Cinnereth (Lake of Tiberias) all ranks and conditions of the conquered city, who should have gone (one would think) a good deal to the i were jiut to death, doubtless by the horrible torture of
KICCALTOUN
RICCl
impa1ii)<;, wliich the Assyrians prac-tioctl, and the loiif; lines of llie victims to wliicli arc still to Uv seen on their inoiiuinents (^.ler. xxxix. i>. (J; lii, !•. 10, 2t>, 27; 2 Kings XXV, (j, 20, 21). In like manner I'liaraoh-neeho, after his victory over the Habyloiiians at Carohcmish, re- turned to Hihlah and summoned Jehoahaz from Jeni- siilem before him (2 Kings xxiii. 33). Ifihlah is prob- ably mentioned by Kzekiel (vi, 14), though in the pres- ent Hebrew text and A. V. it appears as JJibluh or Jjib- lut/i {i\.V.).
This Hililah has no doubt been discovered, still re- taining its ancient name, liibUli, on the right (cast) bank of el-.\sy (the t)rontes), u|H>n the great road which comiects Itaalbek and Hums, about thirty -five miles nortli-east of the former and twenty miles south-west of the latter place. It lies about tu'clve miles east by north of its great fountain, wliich still bears the name «-/-.! /;(. The advantages of its position for the encamp- ment of vast hosts, such as those of Egypt and Haby- lon, are enumerated by Dr. Robinson, who visited it in 1852 {liib. Ris. iii, 545). He describes it as "lying on the banks of a mountain slreain in the midst of a vast and fertile |)lain yielding the most abundant supplies of forage. From this point the roads were open by .Aleppo and the Euphrates to Nineveh, or by Palmyra to Babylon . . . by the end of Lebanon and the coast to Palestine and Egypt, or through the Bukaa and the Jordan valley to the centre of the Holy Land." It ap- |iears to have been first alluded to by IJiickingham in IHIti {Arab Tribes, p. -iHl), The most singular object in this neighborhood is a monument called Kdiiioa el- llirmcl, which stands on a high mound several miles farther u|) the Orontes than Kil)lali (that is, farther south), but distinctly visible from it. It stands on a pedestal of three steps, and in the form of two quad- rilateral masses rising one above another, the lower or- namented with figures of dogs, stags, hunting-instru- ments, etc., and terminating in a kind of ])yramid, it reaches the height of about sixty feet (as given by Itobinson), but Van de Velde makes it about twenty more (ii, 4tj9). One of the corners, the south-west, is in a dila|iidated state; in other respects it is entire, and forms a solid mass of masonry built of large square stones. It is known to be of great antiqnily; but its ))recise date and object are nid<nown ; and Abtdfeda is the first writer who is known to have mentioned it. Dr. Thomson, who was the first to draw attention to it, woidil comiect it with the ancient Habylonian dynasty (/yi6..V«or/, May, 1847).
Riccaltoun, HoniiKr, an eminent divine of the f'hnrch of .Scotland, minister of Hubkirk, was born near .ledburgh in Ki'.ll, and died 17G9. Tie wrote, A Sober liiqiiinj into the droniid of the J'resenf JHlf'erenceii in the t'hiirrh of Snitbiiid (1723, 12mo): — .In /iiqitiri/ into the Sjiiril iiii'l Tinibnry of Letters on Tlieron, etc. (Edin. I7<!2, 12nio). After his death, 1771, three volumes of his writings were published, edited by Hcv. H. Walker: vol. i, ICssiiijs on Ihimtm Xatitre, etc.; vol. ii. Treatise OH the (General J'lan of Rerelation ; vol. iii. Notes, etc., on (iuldtians. See AUibono, IHvl. of liril. and A nier. A nthnrs, s. v. ; Darling, Cijchip. liibVunj. s. v.