Ze'lah (Heb. Tsela', צֵלִע [in pause, צֵלָע in Samuel], a rib; Sept. in Joshua Σηλά, in Samuel Πλευρὰ), a city in the tribe of Benjamin (Jos 18:28, where it is men'tioned in the south-western section between Taralah and Ha-Eleph); it contained the family tomb of Kish, the father of Saul (2Sa 21:14), in which the bones of Saul and Jonathan, and also apparently of the two sons and five grandsons of Saul sacrificed to Jehovah on the hill of Gibeah, at last found their resting-place (comp. ver. 13). The ancient geographers seem ignorant of the locality (Reland, Palaest. p. 1058); but1 modern travelers are inclined to identify it with Beit Jala (Wilson, Lands of the Bible, 1, 401; Bonar, Mission, p. 234), a considerable Christian village opposite Rachel's Tomb (Robinson, Bibl. Res. 2, 2 sq.). The suggestion of rabbi Schwarz (Palest. p. 128) is too vague. Lieut. Conder's suggestion of Rumm is equally a venture (Tent Work in Palest. 2, 340). SEE ZELZAH.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More