Difference between revisions of "Mareshah"

<p> '''1.''' A city of the shephelah or "low hills" of Judah (&nbsp;Joshua 15:43). Commanding in position; hence fortified by [[Rehoboam]] after the separation of [[Israel]] (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 11:8). [[Zerah]] the [[Ethiopian]] had reached [[Mareshah]] when Asa met and repulsed him (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 14:9-10); the "ravine" (geey ) of [[Zephathah]] was near. Now Marash; over a Roman mile S.S.W. of Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis), on a gently swelling hill descending from the mountains to the western plain. [[Eliezer]] son of Dodayah the prophet was of Mareshah (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 20:37.) Micah plays upon the meaning of Mareshah, "I will bring an heir (the [[Assyrian]] foe) unto thee, Mareshah" ("inheritance") (&nbsp;Micah 1:15). Other heirs will supplant us in every inheritance, except heaven. </p> <p> '''2.''' Mareshah, father of [[Hebron]] (a person, not the city): &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:42, where the relative position of the cities Mareshah and Hebron, and their historical relations, forbid our understanding the cities as meant. </p> <p> '''3.''' &nbsp;1 Chronicles 4:21. Mareshah sprung from Shelah, third son of Judah, through Laadah. Probably the same as Mareshah (1). </p>

<p> [[Mareshah]] (''Ma-Rç'Shah'' ), ''Top Of A Hill.'' A city of Judah in the low country. &nbsp;Joshua 15:44. It was fortified and garrisoned by Rehoboam after the rupture with the northern kingdom. &nbsp;2 Chronicles 11:8. Near it the great battle between Zerah and Asa was fought. &nbsp;2 Chronicles 14:9-12. It is mentioned once or twice in the history of the Maccabæan struggles. &nbsp;1 Maccabees 5:1-68; &nbsp;2 Maccabees 12:35. </p>

<p> (Hebrew Mareshah', מִרֵשָׁה, fully, מִרֵאשָׁה '','' &nbsp;Joshua 15:44; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:42; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 4:21; Sept. Μαρισά and Μαρησά, but in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:42, Μαρισάς), the name of one or two men, and also of a place, possibly settled by one of them. </p> <p> '''1.''' A person named as the "father" of Hebron among the descendants of Judah, but it is only left to be inferred that he was the brother of Caleb's son Mesha, with whom the Sept. confounds him (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:42). B.C. prob. ante 1612. </p> <p> '''2.''' In &nbsp;1 Chronicles 4:21, a person of the name of Mareshah is apparently mentioned as the son of Laadah, of the family of Shelah, perhaps as being the founder of the city of the same name (B.C. cir. 1612); possibly identical with the foregoing. </p> <p> '''3.''' A town in the tribe of Judah, "in the valley," enumerated with [[Keilah]] and [[Achzib]] (&nbsp;Joshua 15:44), rebuilt (comp. &nbsp;2 Chronicles 4:21) and fortified by Rehoboam (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 11:8). The [[Ethiopians]] under Zerah were defeated by Asa in the valley of Zephathah, near Mareshah (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 14:9-13). It was the native place of Eliezer ben-Dodavah, a prophet who predicted the destruction of the ships which king [[Jehoshaphat]] had built in conjunction with [[Ahaziah]] of Israel (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 20:37). It is included by the prophet Micah among the towns of the low country which he attempts to rouse to a sense of the dangers their misconduct is bringing upon them (&nbsp;Micah 1:15). Like the rest, the apostrophe to Mareshah is a play on the name: "I will bring your heir ''(Yoresh)'' to you, [[O]] city of inheritance" ''(Mareshah).'' The following verse (16) shows that the inhabitants had adopted the heathen and forbidden custom of cutting off the back hair as a sign of mourning. In the time of the Maccabaeans it was occupied by the Idumseans (&nbsp;2 Maccabees 12:35), but it was laid desolate by [[Judas]] on his march from Hebron to [[Ashdod]] (&nbsp;1 Maccabees 5:65-68; Josephus, Ant. 12:8, 6). Only a few years later it is again reckoned to Idumaea; and [[Hyrcanus]] I took it and compelled its inhabitants to practice circumcision (Josephus, Ant. 13:9, 1). Josephus mentions it among the towns possessed by [[Alexander]] Jannsmus, which had been in the hands of the [[Syrians]] (Ant. 13:15, 4); but by Pompey it was restored to the former inhabitants, and attached to the province of Syria (ib. 14:1, 4). Maresa was among the towns rebuilt by [[Gabinius]] (ib. 14:5, 3), but was again destroyed by the [[Parthians]] in their irruption against Herod (ib. 14:13, 9). A place so often mentioned in history must have been of considerable importance; but it does not appear that it was ever again rebuilt (see Reland, Palest. p. 888). The site, however, is set down by Eusebius and Jerome (Onomast. s.v. Morasthi) as within two miles of Eleutheropolis, but the direction is not stated. Dr. Robinson (Bibl. Researches, 2:422) found, at a mile and a half south of the site of Eleutheropolis, a remarkable tel, or artificial hill, with foundations of some buildings. As there are no other ruins in the vicinity, and as the site is admirably suited for a fortress, this, he supposes, may have been Mareshah. According to Schwarz (Palest. p. 104) these ruins are still known by the Arabs by the name Marasa, probably the Marash described by Tobler (Dritte Wand. p. 129, 142) as lying on a gently swelling hill leading down from the mountains to the great western plain, from which it is but half an hour distant (Van de Velde, Memoir, p. 333). </p>