What is…
Ramah

also known as: Rama (Matthew 2:18), the Greek form of Ramah

Several biblical cities were referred to by this name.

  1. Ramah, a city first mentioned by Joshua

    It is named in Joshua 18:25, located near Gibeah of Benjamin.

    Later in Bible history, it was fortified by Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 15:17-22; 2 Chronicles 16:1-6).

    Asa, king of Judah, employed Benhadad (Ben Hadad) the Syrian king to drive Baasha from this city (1 Kings 15:18, 20).

    Isaiah refers to it (Isa. 10:29), and also Jeremiah, who was once a prisoner there among the other captives of Jerusalem when it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 39:8-12; 40:1).

    The matriarch Rachel, whose tomb lies close to Bethlehem, is represented as weeping in Ramah (Jeremiah 31:15) for her slaughtered children.

    This prophecy is illustrated and fulfilled in the re-awakening of Rachel’s grief at the slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:18).

    It is identified with the modern city of Al-Ram (aka A-Ram, al-Ramm and er-Ram), between Gibeon and Beeroth, about 5 miles due north of Jerusalem. (See the prophet Samuel)

    Modern Al-Ram, Israel—satellite view / Zoom out and pan image south east past Jerusalem to see Bethlehem and Rachel’s Tomb

  2. Ramah, a town identified with Rameh, on the border of Asher

    Located about 13 miles southeast of Tyre, “on a solitary hill in the midst of a basin of green fields” (Joshua 19:29)

  3. Ramah, one of the “fenced cities” of Naphtali

    Mentioned in Joshua 19:36, it was on a mountain slope, about 7½ miles west-southwest of Safed, and 15 miles west of the north end of the Sea of Galilee.

    This became the present large and well-built village of Rameh.

  4. Ramah, the same as Ramathaim-zophim

    This is a town of Mount Ephraim (1 Samuel 1:1, 19).

  5. Ramah, the same as Ramoth-gilead

    2 Kings 8:29; 2 Chronicles 22:6

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Article Version: October 12, 2017