Adummim

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

( Joshua 15:7;  Joshua 18:17); ("the red pass" or "pass of the red men"). The aboriginal inhabitants; on the border between Benjamin and Judah, on a rising ground; whence the phrase is, "the going up of Adummim." S. of the torrent, and looking toward Gilgal. The road still passes the same way, leading up from Jericho (four miles off) and the Jordan valley to Jerusalem, eight miles distant, S. of the gorge of the wady Kelt. It was believed to be the place where the traveler fell among robbers in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10). The order of Knights Templar arose out of an association for guarding this road, which has always been infested by robbers; Jerome indeed derives from the Hebrew "bloodshed."

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Adummim ( A-Dŭm'Mim ), Bloody. The name of a dangerous or mountainous part of the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, about four miles from the latter place. This lonely road is said to be still much infested by robbers, and the scene of many sanguinary murders. It is supposed that the scene of the parable of the Good Samaritan was laid here.  Joshua 15:7;  Joshua 18:17;  Luke 10:30-36.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

ADUMMIM . The Ascent of (  Joshua 15:7;   Joshua 18:17 ), is the steep pass in which the road ascends from Jericho to Jerusalem. Its modern name, Tal‘at ed-Dumm , ‘the ascent of blood’ or ‘red,’ is most probably due to the red marl which is so distinctive a feature of the pass. In this pass, notorious for robberies and murders, is the traditional ‘inn’ of   Luke 10:34 .

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Adum'mim. (The Going Up To). A rising ground or pass over against Gilgal, and "on the south side of the 'torrent', "  Joshua 15:7;  Joshua 18:17, which is the position still occupied by the road leading up from Jericho and the Jordan valley to Jerusalem, on the south face of the gorge of the Wady Kelt .  Luke 10:30-36.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

The sides of a ravine that formed the border between the lots of Judah and Benjamin, and is called 'the going up to or ascent of Adummim.'  Joshua 15:7;  Joshua 18:17 . It lies in the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, and agrees with the parable of the good Samaritan in being a descent from Jerusalem, and was until lately a dangerous road, infested with robbers. It is identified with Talat ed-Dumm, 31 49' N, 35 21' E.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A border town of Benjamin and Judah, not far from Jericho of the road to Jerusalem. This road ascends through a desolate and rocky region, "the ascent of Adummim,"  Joshua 15:7;  18:17; it furnished many lurking places for robbers, and was the scene of our Savior's parable, The Good Samaritan,  Luke 10:1-42 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 15:7 Joshua 18:17 Luke 10:30-37

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 15:7 18:17 Luke 10:30-37

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Adummim ’ , אֲדֻמַּים , the Red ones; Sept. Ἀδαμμίν ), a place on the border between Judah and Benjamin, (See Tribe), and apparently an ascending road between Gilgal (and also Jericho) and Jerusalem, "on the south side of the ‘ torrent ’ " ( Joshua 15:7;  Joshua 18:17), which is the position still occupied by the road leading up from Jericho and the Jordan valley to Jerusalem (Robinson, Researches, 2, 288), on the south face of the gorge of the Wady Kelt. (See Maaleh-Adummim). Most commentators take the name to mean The Place Of Blood (Heb. דָּם ), and follow Jerome, who finds the place in the dangerous or mountainous part of the road between Jerusalem and Jericho (in his time called corruptly Maledomim; in Greek, Σαναβα ; in Latin, Ascensus Rufforum sive Robentium), and supposes that it was so called from the frequent effusion of blood by the robbers, by whom it was much infested. Others (see Keil, Comment. p. 365) attribute the name to the color of the rocks; these, however, are of limestone. It is possibly of a date and significance far more remote, and is rather derived from some tribe of "red men", (See Edom) of the earliest inhabitants of the country (see Stanley, Palest. p. 416 note), doubtless themselves banditti likewise. Indeed, the character of the road was so notorious, that Christ lays the scene of the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10) upon it; and Jerome informs us that Adummim or Adommim was believed to be the place where the traveler (taken as a real person) "fell among thieves." He adds that it was formerly a village, but at that time in ruins, and that a fort and garrison was maintained here for the safeguard of travelers (Onomast. s.v. Adommim, and In Epist. Pauloe). The travelers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries noticed the ruins of a castle, and supposed it the same as that mentioned by Jerome (Zuallart, 4:30); but the judicious Nau (Voyage Nouveau de la Terre-Sainte, p. 349) perceived that this castle belonged to the time of the Crusades. Not far from this spot was a khan, called the "Samaritan ’ s khan" (le Khan du Samaritain), in the belief that it was the "inn" to which the Samaritan brought the wounded traveler. The travelers of the present century mention the spot and neighborhood nearly in the same terms as those of older date; and describe the ruins as those of "a convent and a khan" (Hardy, 193). They all represent the road as still infested by robbers, from whom some of them (as Sir F. Henniker) have not escaped without danger. The place thus indicated is about two thirds the distance from Jerusalem towards Jericho. Dr. Robinson probably means the same by the ruined Khan Hudhrur (or another a little south of it) on the way between Jerusalem and Jericho (Researches, 2, 122); and Schwarz speaks of seeing "a very high, rocky hill composed entirely of pyrites, called by the Arabs Tell Adum, six English miles E.N.E. of Jerusalem" (Palest. p. 95), apparently the ruined locality, Kulat ed-Dem, observed by Schultz (Ritter, Erdk. 15, 493) about half way on the descent to Jericho (Van de Velde, Memoir, p. 282, and Map).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Adum´mim, a place which is only twice named in Scripture. Once ( Joshua 15:7), where, from the context, it seems to indicate the border between Judah and Benjamin, and that it was an ascending road between Gilgal (and also Jericho) and Jerusalem. The second notice ( Joshua 18:17) adds no further information, but repeats 'the ascent to Adummim.' Most commentators take the name to mean the place of blood, and follow Jerome, who finds the place in the dangerous or mountainous part of the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, and supposes that it was so called from the frequent effusion of blood by the robbers, by whom it was much infested. These are curious interpretations of the original word, which merely denotes the redness of the soil or rock. However, as a difficult pass in a desolate rocky region, between important cities, the part of the road indicated by Jerome, and all after him, was as likely to be infested by robbers in earlier times as in those of Jerome and at the present day. Indeed, the character of the road was so notorious, that Christ lays the scene of the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10) upon it; and Jerome informs us that Adummim or Adommim was believed to be the place where the traveler (taken as a real person) 'fell among thieves.' He adds that a fort and garrison was maintained here for the safeguard of travelers. The travelers of the present century mention the spot and neighborhood nearly in the same terms as those of older date. They all represent the road as still infested by robbers, from whom some of them have not escaped without danger. The place thus indicated is about eight miles from Jerusalem, and four from Jericho.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a - dum´im ( אדמּים , 'ădhummı̄m , perhaps "red spots"): "The ascent of Adummim" is one of the numerous landmarks mentioned in defining the northern border of Judah westward from the mouth of the Jordan to Jerusalem, and in defining the southern border of Benjamin eastward from Jerusalem to the mouth of the Jordan ( Joshua 15:7;  Joshua 18:17 ). It is identified with the gorge part of the road from Jericho up to Jerusalem. Its present name is Tala‛at - ed - Dumm , "ascent of blood." The stone is marked by "curious red streaks," a phenomenon which probably accounts for both the ancient and the modern names, and for other similar names which have been applied to the locality. It is the scene of our Saviour's story of the Good Samaritan, and tradition of course locates the inn to which the Samaritan brought the wounded man (see HGHL , 265).