MICHMASH. A place (not enumerated as a town) in the territory of Benjamin, and in the mountains of Bethel. It comes into prominence in connexion with the daring raid made by Jonathan and his armour-bearer upon the Philistines there encamped ( 1 Samuel 13:1-23; 1 Samuel 14:1-52 ). It was one of the smaller places to which the returning exiles belonged, contributing only 122 men to the enumeration of Ezra ( Ezra 2:27 ) and Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 7:31 ) [in both these last two passages Michmas ]. Nehemiah further alludes to it as a border city of Benjamin ( Nehemiah 11:31 ). Indications of its position may be obtained from the Jonathan story and also from Isaiah’s picture of the course of an Assyrian raid ( Isaiah 10:28 ). These indications permit an identification of the site with the modern village of Mukhmâs , situated in a wild and desolate region near the head of the Wady Kelt. In 1 Kings 4:9 for Makaz the LXX [Note: Septuagint.] erroneously reads Michmash . For a time it was the seat of the government of Jonathan Maccabæus ( 1Ma 9:73 ).

R. A. S. Macalister.