Gilead in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

gil'-e-ad (ha-gil`adh, "the Gilead"): The name is explained in Gen 31:46 ff,51, as derived from Hebrew gal, "a cairn," and `edh, "witness," agreeing in meaning with the Aramaic yegharsahadhutha'. The Arabic jilead means "rough," "rugged." (1) A city named in Hos 6:8; 12:11, possibly to be identified with Gilead near to Mizpah (Jdg 10:17). If this is correct, the ancient city may be represented by the modern Jil`ad, a ruin about 5 miles North of es-Salt. (2) A mountain named in Jdg 7:3. Gideon, ordered to reduce the number of men who were with him, commanded all who were "fearful and trembling" to "return and depart from Mt. Gilead." the Revised Version, margin reads "return and go round about from Mt. Gilead." Gideon and his army lay to the South of the plain of Jezreel on the lower slopes of Gilboa. It has been suggested (Studer, Comm., at the place) that, as the Midianites lay between the men of the northern tribes and their homes, they were told to cross the Jordan, make a detour through Gilead, and thus avoid the enemy. Possibly, however, we should read Gilboa for Gilead; or part of the mountain may have borne the name of Gilead. The last suggestion is favored by the presence of a strong spring under the northern declivity of Gilboa, nearly 2 miles from Zer`in, possibly to be identified with the Well of Harod. In the modern name, `Ain Jalud, there may be an echo of the ancient Gilead. (3) The name is applied generally to the mountain mass lying between the Yarmuk on the North, and Wady Chesban on the South; the Jordan being the boundary on the West, while on the East it marched with the desert. 1. The Land of Gilead: Mount Gilead--literally, "Mount of the Gilead"--may refer to some particular height which we have now no means of identifying (Gen 31:23). The name Jebel Jil`ad is still, indeed, applied to a mountain South of Nahr ez-Zerqa and North of es-Salt; but this does not meet the necessities of the passage as it stands. The same expression in Dt 3:12 obviously stands for the whole country. This is probably true also in Song 4:1. The name Gilead is sometimes used to denote the whole country East of the Jordan (Gen 37:25; Josh 22:9; 2 Sam 2:9, etc.). Again, along with Bashan, it indicates the land East of Jordan, as distinguished from the Moab plateau (Dt 3:10; Josh 13:11; 2 Ki 10:33). 2.Bashan: In the North Gilead bordered upon Geshur and Maacah (Josh 13:11,13); and here the natural boundary would be formed by the deep gorge of the Yarmuk and Wady esh-Shellaleh. In pre- Israelite times the Jabbok (Nahr ez-Zerqa), which cuts the country in two, divided the kingdom of Sihon from that of Og (Dt 3:16; Josh 12:2). The frontiers between the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh cannot be indicated with any certainty. Probably they varied at different times (compare Josh 13:24 ff; 1 Ch 5:8,9,11,16). It greatly increases the difficulty that so many of the cities named are still unidentified. But in any case it is clear that the bulk of Gilead fell to Gad, so that Gilead might stand for Gad (Jdg 5:17). HAVVOTH-JAIR (which see), "the villages of Jair," lay in Gilead (Jdg 10:4). The modern division of the country follows the natural features. From the Yarmuk to Nahr ez- Zerqa is the district of `Ajlun; and from the Zerqa to the Arnon is el-Belqa. 3. Geology: The geological formation is the same as that of Western Israel, but the underlying sandstone, which does not appear West of the Jordan, forms the base slopes of the chain of Moab and Gilead, and is traceable as far as the Jabbok. It is covered in part by the more recent white marls which form the curious peaks of the foothills immediately above the Jordan valley; but reaches above them to an elevation...