why was the voice of lamentation heard in Ramah, nearly ten miles distant? The answer is now easy. So deep was the impression made by the cruel mas- sacre, that the cry of distress went through the whole
RAMA
893
RAMAH
land of Benjamin, reaching to the capital of the tribe. — Kitto.
Rama is, in Hindu mythology, the name common to three incarnations of Vishnu, of Parasurama, Rama- Chandra, and Balarama. See Vishnu.
Ramadan, the ninth month in the Mohammedan year. In it Mohammed received his first revelation, and every believer is therefore enjoined to keep a strict fast throughout its entire course, from the dawn — when a white thread can be distinguished from a black thread — to sunset. Eating, drinking, smoking, bathing, smell- ing perfumes, and other bodily enjoyments, even swal- lowing one's spittle, are strictly prohibited during that period. Even when obliged to take medicine, the Mos- lem must make some kind of amends for it, such as spending a certain sum of money upon the poor. Dur- ing the night, however, the most necessary wants may be satisfied — a permission which, practically, is inter- preted by a profuse indulgence in all sorts of enjoy- ments. The fast of Ramadan, now much less observed than in former times, is sometimes a very severe afflic- tion upon the orthodox, particularly when the month — the year being lunar — happens to fall in the long and hot days of midsummer. The sick, travellers, and sol- diers in time of war, are temporarily released from this duty, but they have to fast an equal number of days at a subsequent period, when this impediment is removed. Nurses, pregnant women, and those to whom it might prove really injurious, are expressly exempt from fast- ing. We may add that according to some traditions (Al-Beidawi), not only Mohammed, but also Abraham, Moses, and Jesus received their respective revelations during this month. The principal passages treating of the fast of Ramadan are found in the second Surah of the Koran, called "The Cow." — Chambers's Ency clop. s. v. See Wellsted, City of the Caliphs, ii, 245.
Ra'mall (Heb. Ramah', ttEl) signifies a heir/lit, or a high place, from the root Wl, to be high; and thus it is used in Ezek. xvi, 24. Very many of the ancient cities and villages of Palestine were built on the tops of hills, so as to be more secure, and hence, as was nat- ural, such of them as were especially conspicuous were called by way of distinction iTQlh (with the article), the Hi iffht ; and this in the course of time came to be used as a proper name. We find no less than five Ramahs mentioned in Scripture by this simple name, besides several compounds, and in modern Palestine the equivalent Arabic name is of very frequent occur- rence. With regard to most of them the traveller can still see how appropriate the appellation was. In the A. V. we have various forms of the word — Ramdth (n^), the status constructus (Josh, xiii, 26), Ramdth (n'irn and Pbn), the plural (Josh, xxi, 36; 1 Sam. xxx, 27); and Ramathdim (Q^r^), a dual form (1 Sam. i, 1). Remeth (p^"}) appears to be only another form of the same word. In later Hebrew, ramtha is a recognised word for a hill, and as such is employed in the Jewish version* of the Pentateuch for the rendering of Pisgah. See also Arimathjsa. (In the following account we largely follow that in Kitto's Cyclopaedia, with important additions from other sources.)
1. Ramah of Benjamin (Sept. 'Papa and 'Apapd, v. r. 'lapd, 'Pappd, 'Pappdv, Bapd , Vulg. Rama), fre- quently mentioned in Scripture. Joshua, in enumer- ating the towns of Benjamin, groups Ramah between Gibeon and Beeroth (xviii, 25). This position suits the present Ram-Allah , but the considerations named in the text make it very difficult to identify any other site with it than er-Ram. It is probably this place which is mentioned in the story of Deborah, "She dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim" (Judg. iv, 5). The Targum on this passage substitutes for the Palm of Deborah, Ataroth- Deborah, no doubt referring to the town of Ataroth.