Baalah

Baalah - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

Mistress; city. (1.) A city in the south of Judah (Josh. 15:29), elsewhere called Balah (Josh. 19:3) and Bilhah (1 Chr. 4:29). Now Khurbet Zebalah.

(2.) A city on the northern border of the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:10), called also Kirjath-jearim, q.v. (15:9; 1 Chr. 13:6), now Kuriet-el-Enab, or as some think, Erma.

(3.) A mountain on the north-western boundary of Judah and Dan (Josh. 15:11).

ba'-a-la ba`alah; ("possessor," "mistress "): Three occurrences of this name:

(1) = KIRIATH-JEARIM (which see) (Jos 15:9,10; 1Ch 13:6).

(2) A city in the Negeb of Judah (Jos 15:29). In Jos 19:3 Balah and in 1Ch 4:29 Bilhah; perhaps also Boaloth of Jos 15:24. The site is unknown; but see PEF, III, 26.

(3) Mount Baalah (Jos 15:11), a mountain ridge between Shikkeron (Ekron) and Jabnoel unless, as seems probable, the suggestion of M. Clermont-Ganneau (Rev. Crit, 1897, 902) is correct that for har ( = "mount"), we should read nahar ("river"). In this case the border in question would be the Nahr rubin. Here there is an annual feast held--attended by all classes and famous all over Syria--which appears to be a real survival of "Baal worship."

E. W. G. Masterman