no certainty as to its precise locality. Some have supposed that it may be
identical with Arimathea of the New Testament. (See MIZPAH).
- RAMATHITE the designation given to Shimei, the manager of David’s
vineyard (1 Chronicles 27:27). - RAMATH-LEHI elevation of Lehi, or the jawbone height; i.e., the Ramah
of Lehi (Judges 15:15-17). The phrase “in the jaw,” ver. 19, Authorized
Version, is in the margin, also in the Revised Version, “in Lehi.” Here
Samson slew a thousand Philistines with a jawbone. - RAMATH-MIZPEH the height of Mizpeh or of the watch-tower (Joshua
13:26), a place mentioned as one of the limits of Gad. There were two
Mizpehs on the east of the Jordan. This was the Mizpeh where Jacob and
Laban made a covenant, “Mizpeh of Gilead,” called also Galeed and
Jegar-sahadutha. It has been identified with the modern es-Salt, where the
roads from Jericho and from Shechem to Damascus unite, about 25 miles
east of the Jordan and 13 south of the Jabbok. - RAMATH OF THE SOUTH (Hebrews Ramath-negeb). The Hebrews
negeb is the general designation for south or south-west of Judah. This was
one of the towns of Simeon (Joshua 19:8). It is the same as “south
Ramoth” (1 Samuel 30:27; R.V., “Ramoth of the south”). Its site is
doubtful. Some have thought it another name for Baalath-beer. - RAMESES “the land of” (Genesis 47:11), was probably “the land of
Goshen” (q.v.) 45:10. After the Hebrews had built Rameses, one of the
“treasure cities,” it came to be known as the “land” in which that city was
built.
The city bearing this name (Exodus 12:37) was probably identical with
Zoan, which Rameses II. (“son of the sun”) rebuilt. It became his special
residence, and ranked next in importance and magnificance to Thebes. Huge
masses of bricks, made of Nile mud, sun-dried, some of them mixed with
stubble, possibly moulded by Jewish hands, still mark the site of Rameses.
This was the general rendezvous of the Israelites before they began their
march out of Egypt. Called also Raamses (Exodus 1:11).