Kirjath-jearim: City of jaars; i.e., of woods or forests, a Gibeonite town
(Joshua 9:17)
on the border of Benjamin, to which tribe it was assigned
(Joshua 18:15,28) The ark was brought to this place
(1 Samuel 7:1,2) from
Beth-shemesh and put in charge of Abinadab, a Levite. Here it
remained till it was removed by David to Jerusalem
(2 Samuel 6:2,3,12)
(1 Chronicles 15:1-29) comp.
(Psalms 132:1)ff It was also called Baalah
(Joshua 15:9) and Kirjath-baal
(Joshua 15:60). It has been usually
identified with Kuriet el-'Enab (i.e., "city of grapes"), among the
hills, about 8 miles north-east of 'Ain Shems (i.e., Beth-shemesh).
The opinion, however, that it is to be identified with 'Erma, 4 miles
east of 'Ain Shems, on the edge of the valley of Sorek, seems to be
better supported.
The words of
(Psalms 132:6) "We found it in the fields of the wood,"
refer to the sojourn of the ark at Kirjath-jearim. "Wood" is here the
rendering of the Hebrew word jaar, which is the singular of
