mare shah Summary and Overview

MARE' SHAH (top of a hill), a city of Judah in the low country. Josh 15:44. It was fortified and garrisoned by Rehoboam after the rupture with the northern kingdom. 2 Chr 11:8. Near it the great battle between Zerah and Asa was fought. 2 Chr 14:9-12. It is mentioned once or twice in the history of the Maccabtean struggles. 1 Mace. 5:2 Mace. 12:35. About b.c. 110 it was taken from the Idumaeans by John Hyrcanus. It was in ruins in the fourth century, when Eusebius and Jerome describe it as in the second mile from Eleutheropolis. The ruin el-Merash, about a mile and a half south-south-west of Beit Jebrin, marks the site of ancient Mareshah. In the rocky banks of the valley south of the ruin there are numerous excavated caverns resembling subterranean towns. Conder suggested el-Marah, south of the valley of Elah, as Mareshah, but lately has accepted M'erash as the site.