Michmash

Michmash was a town in the territory of Benjamin, located about 7 miles north of Jerusalem. It is first mentioned in the Bible as the place where Saul gathered his troops to fight against the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:2). The Philistines had a garrison at Michmash, and their troops were encamped there (1 Samuel 13:5, 11, 16, 23). Jonathan, Saul's son, launched a daring attack on the Philistine garrison near Michmash, which led to a great victory for Israel (1 Samuel 14:5, 31). After the Babylonian exile, some people from Michmash returned to resettle in their hometown (Ezra 2:27; Nehemiah 7:31; 11:31). The prophet Isaiah mentions Michmash in his prophecy about the advance of the Assyrian army, indicating that it was on the route from the north to Jerusalem (Isaiah 10:28).