Baalah

Ba'alah (Hebrews Btalah', בּעֲלָה, mistress, civitas), the name of two cities and of one mountain. SEE BAALATH.

1. (Sept. Βααλάθ v. r. Βαλά.) A city in the southern part of Judah, mentioned in connection with Beersheba and lim (Jos 15:29), apparently the same elsewhere called BALAH (Jos 19:3), also BILHAH, and assigned to Simeon (1Ch 4:29). In the firstnamed passage it forms part of the preceding name Bizjothjah-Bnalah. SEE BIZJOTHJAH.

2. (Sept. Βααλάθ v. r. Βαάλ, but omits in 1 Chronicles) A city on the northern border of Judah (Jos 15:10), better known as KIRJATH- JEARIM (q.v.) (Jos 15:9; 1Ch 13:6), otherwise called BAALE OF JUDAH (2Sa 6:2). In Jos 15:60; Jos 18:14, it is called KIRJATH-BAAL. From the expression "Baalah, which is Kirjath- jearim" (comp. "Jebusi, which is Jerusalem," 18:28), it would seem as if Baalah were the earlier or Canaanite appellation of the place.

3. (Sept. γῆ Βααλάθ v. r. ἐπὶ λίβα, etc.) A mountain (הִר) on the N.W. boundary of Judah, between Shicron and Jabneel (Jos 15:11), usually regarded as the same with Mount Jearim (ver. 10), from the neighboring Kirjath-baal; but erroneously (see Keil, Comment. in loc.), for the direction in the text requires a location more westerly, apparently at the modern Tell Hermes (Van de Velde, Map). SEE TRIBE.